Brian Senior has written about a key board from yesterday's Swiss Teams.
This deal was the highlight of the Swiss Teams for me, when I fluked a winning lead against a doubled game.
Board 45. Dealer North. All Vul.
West North East South
Bird Senior
– 4 Dble All Pass
North opened 4 and I had a choice between doubling and overcalling 4NT. The latter would show a genuine two-suiter, while the double would just be a more general take-out. I opted for the more flexible double and partner, Nigel Bird, thinking it unlikely that we could make a five-level contract, left it in.
I agree with Nigel’s decision, but it meant that we had doubled our opponents in a cold vulnerbale game. Now, what should I lead?
I didn’t want to lead from one of the ace-high suits so that only left a club, but I decided to falsecard, perhaps making declarer’s play more difficult. Ied the six of clubs, to the three, nine and king.
Declarer played the jack of spades, Nigel winning the ace and playing king and another diamond. I won and tried to cash a third diamond, but declarer ruffed. He led a club towards the ace-jack and I followed with the two. If that was from five, dummy’s card was about to get ruffed, but the six was consistent with being second-highest from a weak suit – 10652 – in which case a finesse would lose to the now bare queen, and there would still be a second loser to come for down two and –500. So declarer went up with the ace, expecting to escape for one down after the queen had fallen – but in practice had now gone down in his cold contract for –200.
Well, I admit that my opening lead was a case of monkeys and typewriters, but what was the outcome of the board? We had scored +200 instead of –790 and that meant that we only lost 11 IMPs on the board! This was the auction at the other table:
West North East South
– 2 3 Pass
4 Pass Pass Dble
All Pass
Our South player was disappointed to find that he only had one trump trick and that the contract made after a spade lead for –790.
By Brian Senior