::MadeSix::
Sunday, May 31, 2009
I believe I should do up a post for VJBridge. Haha.
Ok today Hong Aik and I went to play bridge at Kampong Kembagan CC. Matchpoint pairs. 4 pairs only. 18 boards. We played well, but all our good scores were reciprocated at the other table, so we didn't do as well as we thought we could. I'm not sure what's our rank but I'm guessing we're around 3rd.
At our 3rd (and final) round, I was holding this on the first board.
T86
QJT93
AK4
83
Only we were vulnerable. I was thinking whether to open this hand or not because I love my Hearts. But RHO solved all my problems after he opened 1D when partner dealt and passed. I overcalled 1H. This overcall can be anything from 8 to 15 points, so with sub-minimum opening hand, I bid 1H. Here's the bidding like:
P, 1D, 1H, P
2D!, X, 2H, P
4H, All pass
I was quite shocked when partner pushed to game even though he was a passed hand. Think of how to play 4H with this dummy (in SHDC order):
KQ75
A875
5
Q965
Lead: 7 of diamonds
T86
QJT93
AK4
83
There were 2 top diamond tricks plus a potential diamond ruff, 5 heart tricks if K is onside, and probably 1 spade trick. There was still 1 trick missing. I won the opening lead with the A and played the 9 of trumps. LHO follows low. Instead of finessing, I went up to the A to drop RHO's singleton K! The reason for doing that was because RHO most likely had the K for his opening bid. If that's the case, there was no point in finessing so I might as well cash the A. I proceeded to draw 2 rounds of trumps and ended up in my hand.
KQ75
8
Q965
T86
T3
K4
83
I think I tried clubs next. I led a 3, and when LHO follows with a 2, I played a 9. RHO won with K and returned a diamond, won by my K (discard spades from dummy). I tried clubs again, and this time LHO played the T. I played Q and saw RHO won it with A. He returned a diamond for me to ruff in dummy. I went to ruff a club (and both opponents followed). I was left with:
KQ7
-
-
9
T86
T
-
-
With 7 tricks now, I knew I had to take 2 spade tricks for my contract to make. I led a small spade to the K and RHO took his A. He returned a diamond, which a ruffed, and set LHO thinking for a long time.
Here are the cards that remained:
When RHO played a diamond for me to ruff, LHO had no good discard. If he discards a spade, I will discard a club from dummy. I will then win the next 2 spades with Q and T respectively. If he chooses to part with a club, then I will discard a spade from dummy and dummy is good. LHO is squeezed! In reality, he discarded a club and got me thinking whether there were still any outstanding clubs. But I played correctly and brought home a difficult 4H contract.
There were many ways for the defence to kill the contract. For example, when RHO won the A club, he could have returned a club, spoiling the entry. Or at the 3rd last trick, he could have played a low spade, making me guess whether to play the T (maybe RHO has J) or play the 8 (maybe RHO has 9). Would I have gotten it correct? I'm not sure, luckily I didn't have to guess.
The full deal:
| KQ75
A875
5
Q965 | |
J43
642
972
JT72 | | A92
K
QJT863
AK4 |
| T86
QJT93
AK4
83 |
The second board of round 3 and I was dealt with a strong hand:
K97
Q2
KQ6
AKJ52
Nobody is vulnerable. RHO dealt and passed. I opened 1NT, which shows 16-18 HCP and balanced (4333/4432/5332) with no 5-carded majors. Here's the bidding:
P, 1NT, P, 2D (transfer to hearts)
P, 2H, P, 3NT
All pass
I was happy to see a 11-point dummy when the 4 of spades was led.
T63
AKT74
A83
84
Lead: 4 of spades
K97
Q2
KQ6
AKJ52
RHO won with A and returned a Q of spades. Think of how you will play. Remember that we are playing matchpoints and overtricks are important.
I had 9 top tricks (1 spade, 3 heart, 3 diamond and 2 clubs) and if hearts break 3-3, I have 11. If club finesse is onside, I can have one more. I won the Q spade with the K instead of ducking (I'll duck if I need to lose the lead again in order to make my contract) and tried 3 rounds of hearts (discard a club on my 3rd heart). Hearts break 3-3, good! I'm left with:
T
T7
A83
84
9
-
KQ6
AKJ5
I have 11 top tricks and I can possibly go for 12. But if I lose the club lead to LHO, he might cash his remaining spades. Just then, RHO's handphone rang. I played slowly to make sure I know what I was doing (I already had a plan in mind). I played 3 rounds of diamonds ending in dummy. While RHO was busy with his call, I told Hong Aik: I show you another squeeze. Well, I proceeded to cash my remaining 2 hearts and discarded a spade and a club from my hand, ending with:
T
-
-
84
-
-
-
AKJ
LHO struggled on his last trick. Eventually, he discarded a 9 of clubs. If someone had discarded the J spade, I will cash my T and claim the rest of the tricks. When the J did not come out, I proceeded to try to cash my clubs from the top. The Q dropped on the second round of clubs from LHO and my J won. Poor LHO, at the 4th last trick, he had Club QT9 and Spade J. Any discard will allow me to win the last 4 tricks. I'm really sorry that he was squeezed consecutively for the second time.
The squeeze here will work if someone holds the J of spades along with 3+ carded clubs headed by Q. It's roughly a 50% chance that someone will be squeezed. I chose that play instead of a finesse because 1) A finesse may be dangerous. I might not be able to cash the last 2 club tricks, 2) Other than the 50%, I can also catch doubleton or singleton Q, so it increases my percentage. A finesse is a dead 50%. So in the end I had 3 overtricks and zuo liu! But the other side also made 3NT+3 so it was a push board. I doubt they managed to squeeze, and I think it's because of a poor discard that's why. Here's the full deal:
| T63
AKT74
A83
84 | |
J854
J63
T52
QT9 | | AQ2
985
J974
763 |
| K97
Q2
KQ6
AKJ52 |
In both these boards, I have executed a simple squeeze (or a two-suit squeeze) in each board. Ok I must admit that for the first board, I didn't really execute it, but it was executed anyway. In simple squeezes, one opponent must hold all the cards involved (cards in the 2 suits). There must also only be one loser remaining in my hand (the first board: I had 2 cards remaining and only Q spade as a winner; the second board: I had 11 top tricks after losing the first trick, going for the 12th). If I had more than one loser, then the opponent being squeezed can have an extra card to discard.
In the first board, it is a positional squeeze (it can only work for one opponent and not the other). This is because both the threat-cards are in one hand (the club and a low spade (the low spade is required so that I can play it to win the Ten in my hand)). If RHO had all the remaining cards and I play my last trump, I had to discard before RHO, so he can discard whatever I discard in dummy.
In the second board, it is an automatic squeeze (it works for any opponent). I don't have to count the clubs that came out, I just had to see if the J of spades came out. If it hadn't, then I just try the clubs. It is easier for me because I don't have to care who had the Q of clubs and the J of spades.
Btw, RHO scolded Hong Aik for bidding 3NT instead of 4H when he saw the dummy. I dun think he's correct... 3NT is good here and if we had gone into a 4H contract, we would have gotten bottom board (4H+2 is +480 whereas 3NT+3 is +490). Haha.
Ok that's it. If you all are free, you can go KKCC to play every Monday and Thursday evening at 7pm. It's just a short 3-minute walk from Kembagan MRT station. They also have a Beginners' Course on Contract Bridge (but I forgot when it is already).
- Sherman
Sherman madesix at 5:19 PM
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