Bridge Blog

Nightmare Misfit

Here’s a hand from a two-table team game last week. Both EWs got stung.
Would you and your best partner have done better?

                                           ♠ Q74
                                           ♥ 9762
                                           ♦ J9865
                                           ♣ K
                                              N
              ♠ AKJT86532                              ♠ –
              ♥ –                                              ♥ AKJT543
              ♦ 4                W                  E       ♦ Q3
              ♣ T73                                         ♣ Q982
                                              S
                                         ♠ 9
                                         ♥ Q8
                                         ♦  AKT72
                                         ♣ AJ632

Neither side vulnerable. East deals.

South      West      North     East
R. Fokos Claus       me        Anita
                                            1♥
 2NT*       4♠          5♦*       5♥
   5♠         all pass

*At both tables, South bid 2NT (unusual, showing 5-5 or stranger in the lower two unbid suits). I bid 5♦, which under ordinary circumstances would be a good save. If NS can make 4♥ or 4♠,  5♦ down one doubled (-100), the likely outcome, would be an excellent result. Even 6♦ doubled down two (-300) is great if NS can make 5♥ or 5♠, but it turns out that Robert was exactly right not to go on, because the best EW can do is 2♥ or 2♠.

            My opening lead was the ♣K, followed by a low diamond to Robert’s king. He tried to cash the ♦A, and Claus ruffed. Claus played three rounds of trumps, putting me in with the ♠Q, in hopes that I would lead a heart. No such luck. Claus ruffed the diamond continuation and ran a bunch of spades, but eventually he had to lose two more clubs - down three for -150.

            In the other room West bid 6♠:

South      West      North     East
                Bob I.                   Nancy
                                            1♥
 2NT*         3♠      Pass        4♥
 Pass         4NT     Pass        5♥**
 Pass          6♠        all pass

** 2 key cards, no queen, in hearts.

            Bob got lucky when South cashed the ♣A at trick three, setting up the queen on the board. Whether North ruffs the next club or waits to get his ♠Q later, he gets only one trump trick, and so Bob was also down three for -150.  No IMPs either way, but why didn’t South double?

            It’s not likely that EW would ever wind up in hearts when West has nine spades and no hearts! But even if that somehow happened, Anita or Nancy would fare no better at 5♥ or 6♥. She can drop the ♥Q and pull trumps without a loss, but unless an opponent screws up and leads a spade, she will lose two diamonds and three clubs, taking the same number of tricks as West.

            I  think South’s unusual 2NT made a difference. If South passes at his first turn, West will keep bidding spades, and East will keep bidding hearts, probably winding up at 4♠ (1♥, 1♠, 2♥, 3♠, 4♥, 4♠). The 5♦ helped even more. Nancy says she would have passed 4♠ if Bob had bid that instead of 4NT, but Claus would certainly have bid 5♠ even if Anita had passed 5♦.

            Some players might jump to 4♠ over East’s 1♥, showing a determination to play spades, and then some East’s might pass. But I don’t think I’d jump to 4♠ (over 1♥) with the West hand. Slam looks too likely. Give East the ♣A, and six is almost certain, seven a possibility.

            It’s just a nightmare misfit. There’s nothing to do about it but shrug and pick up the next board.