Both Sides Now

Playing a knockout team event against five pros and a client, in the second half, I encounter a hand with interesting play at each of the two tables.

At favorable vulnerability, I deal and pick up

1086

AK64

AJ73.

Fortunately, we are playing weak notrumps in this position, so I open 1. I say "fortunately," because the bidding progresses

West	North	East	South
1	Dbl	Pass	1
Pass	3	Pass	4
All Pass

Partner probably doesn't have much, and I'd've been doubled in 1NT, so I'm glad I escaped so easily, particularly looking at dummy:

	AK43 AQ87 J10 K54
1086 K4 AK64 AJ73

Dummy wonders out loud if he has overbid after I lead the A. I think that's currently a matter of style; some play that a simple raise to 2 just shows a decent fit and isn't forward-going. Others play that 2 is a mild game invitation, so 3 is a stronger one. In that style, which is probably "standard," dummy is a bit light.

Partner produces a discouraging diamond at trick one, and I have a defensive problem. Three tricks seem obvious, but from where will appear the fourth? It's possible that we could have a spade trick (a second club loser will disappear on the Q), but partner is likely to have at most a Queen. If it's the Jack tripleton of trumps, this contract has no chance, but otherwise, declarer should be able to make it. It's possible that partner has 109x, in which case, we can give declarer a guess in the trump suit. Partner will falsecard on the first round and declarer might try to pin doubleton 109 of trumps. For that, he'll need two entries to his hand. I cash a second diamond, partner's contributing the 9, and play a spade. Declarer thinks for a second and goes up with the A. Partner plays an encouraging spade, so partner's card is the Q.

Declarer thinks for a little while and puts the K on the table. He's obviously trying to build an entry to hand to take a heart finesse. It looks as if partner has three diamonds, so declarer is almost surely 2443. That means we have no spade trick, so our only chance is to get a trump trick. For that to happen, declarer will need two entries to his hand, so I shall let him have them. I win the A and continue with another spade. Partner completes his echo and declarer drops the J. Declarer ruffs a spade to hand and takes a trump finesse. Partner drops the 9 on this trick. Good news! Declarer goes into a very long study. I'm pretty sure I have the whole hand worked out; it is

	AK43 AQ87 J10 K54
1086 K4 AK64 AJ73		Q952 1092 983 1096
	J7 J653 Q752 Q82

plus or minus a spot or two. Declarer returns to his hand with the high club, cashes the

Q pitching a club, and goes into a further tank. The position is:

	4 A87 --- ---
--- K 6 J7		Q 102 --- 10
	--- J6 7 8

Declarer leaves the tank appearing very sure of himself and plays the

J. I cover, perforce, and we take a second trump trick for down one. Winning the

K was necessary or declarer would have had no choice but to make the hand. When the

10 didn't drop, declarer's body language looked like he thought he'd've had no chance if it didn't, that the alternate play would have failed. Perhaps he didn't know the

7 was high?

At the other table, the bidding proceded differently; my hand had the opportunity to make a takeout double of hearts. My teammate was pretty sure that I had only two hearts, but was concerned about disposing of the last diamond. If the 98 dropped, he'd be home free, but what if it didn't? He envisioned the hand's being:

	AK43 AQ87 J10 K54
10862 K4 AK84 AJ7		Q95 1092 963 10963
	J7 J653 Q752 Q82

The defense also started with two rounds of diamonds and a spade switch. He cashed two high spades and ruffed a spade to hand. He took the trump finesse and cashed the

A. A third round of trumps would have given my hand an insoluble problem in this position:

	4 87 --- K54
10 --- 84 AJ7		--- 10 9 10963
	--- J Q7 Q82

What do I discard? Not a spade, or the

4 would be good. Not a diamond, or the

7 would score. Ergo, I must loose a club. Then, after testing diamonds, declarer can lead a club to the

K and duck a club to my now blank

A for his tenth trick. That's a funny sort of squeeze without the count---there are two menaces without an entry. As it turned out, of course, the diamond spots dropped and he cashed the

7 to make ten tricks for a vulnerable game swing.

The squeeze was played by Michael Schreiber of Los Angeles.

Jeff Goldsmith, jeff@tintin.jpl.nasa.gov, June 15, 1998