The Fives of Spades

Playing in a local duplicate against average opposition, I pick up with both sides vulnerable:

A742

KQ742

Q4 We are playing the Flannery convention whereby a 2

opening bid shows 11-15 high card points, 4 spades, and 5 hearts. This hand certainly qualifies, so I open 2

. LHO passes, and unexpectedly, so does partner. RHO happily bids 2

, so perhaps I shall get to play in a major after all, but LHO tries 3

. Partner thinks better and doubles, and RHO retreats to spades, which I double, ending an eventful auction.

Me	North	East	South
2	Pass	Pass	2
Pass	3	Dbl	3
Dbl	Pass	Pass	Pass

I lead the

Q, partner's suit!

	8 9853 97 A108653
A742 KQ742 QJ Q4		J10 J5 A10862 J972
	KQ9653 A10 K543 K

On the diamond lead, partner plays the 8 and declarer wins the King. She cashes the

K, the

A (where is partner's double?), and plays the

10. I play low, letting partner win the Jack. He shifts to the

J, Queen, Ace. My

J is overtaken and partner cashes the Ten and Six, declarer following. Partner leads the

2, ruffed with the Six and overruffed with the Seven. I have saved the

7 and partner ruffs it with the Ten. Declarer overruffs with the King, cashes the Nine of trumps and claims holding the 53 over my stiff Four. Down two. ``Sorry partner, next time I'll have the Five of spades so that we can get them for 800.''

The very next day finds me in another duplicate against inexperienced opposition. I am South; West deals and opens a weak 2 and partner doubles. 2NT would be artificial in our methods, so I bid a very aggressive (perhaps foolhardy) 3NT.

	A9532 8 AQ9 Q965

	86 AJ107 1042 K1073

West	North	East	South
2	Dbl	Pass	3NT
Pass	Pass	Pass

West leads the

K, and I pause to take stock. This is not a very good contract, but I have two heart tricks, one spade, one diamond, and three clubs if I can get the clubs right. The diamond finesse would give me eight tricks, and I might be able to manage an endplay for nine, or possibly the double finesse in diamonds might be working. For the moment, I have nothing better to do than to start clubs. The

3 is covered by the Jack, Queen, and Ace. At least clubs have come home. East fires back the

2 to my Jack and the Queen. West continues with the

3. I try the double finesse, playing the Nine, but East wins the King and shifts to the

K. I follow and West drops the Jack as I win the Ace. All of a sudden, I see that this time the

5 is where it belongs. They both follow to the diamonds, and I cash the clubs ending in my hand leaving:

	953 --- --- 6
10 96 J ---		Q74 --- --- 8
	8 107 --- K

On the last club, West is triple squeezed. The spade would have been best if I had only the Seven and not the Eight, but, happily, he pitches the

J. The

8 completes the circle. East must overtake the spade or West will be forced to lead into my heart tenace. When he does, he has to lead from his

74 into my

95, and I make the hand with three club tricks, one heart, two diamonds, and three spades. ``Thank you partner. That spade Five was an awfully good card.''