One Little Detail

[rod]

Here's an everyday deal that I encountered with the robots today. Partscore contracts are often more interesting than games and slams, with many possible twists and turns. And with both sides in the bidding everyone will have more clues as to the distribution of the cards.

North
♠ Q973
♥ KQ82
♦ 94
♣ A98

South
♠ J864
♥ 10753
♦ A87
♣ Q3

I was South and the auction proceeded:

East  South West  North
Pass  Pass  1♣    Pass
1♦    Pass  2♣    Dbl
Pass  2♠    All Pass

I chose 2♠ instead of 2♥, keeping hearts in reserve in the unlikely case I needed to bid again.

West led the ♦2 and I took East's Queen with the Ace. Then a small spade from hand and West's Ace appeared, which I figured suggests shortness. West's bidding and play suggests six clubs and three diamonds, perhaps 1-3-3-6 pattern.

West cashed the ♦K and ♥A, then played the ♦J, ruffed in dummy. Dummy's ♠Q was taken by East's King as West discarded a diamond. West then exited with the ♥J leaving this position where you need five of the remaining six tricks:

♠ x
♥ K8
♦ --
♣ A98

♠ --
♥ 9
♦ --
♣ J7654

♠ 105
♥ --
♦ 106
♣ K10

♠ J8
♥ 107
♦ --
♣ Q3

Did you ruff the third round of diamonds with the ♠7 or the 9? It better have been the 9, otherwise you won't be getting back to your hand to draw the last trump!

[rod]

To be sure the defence was not stellar. West's early play of the ♥A was not wise, and East could have ducked the ♠Q to deny declarer an entry to hand. Much of winning bridge is being able to capitalize on such errors.