Eszter and I were really lucky on this hand:
Love All, Dealer WestYou are South, holding:
South AK3
AKJ
962
A874
BiddingWest North East SouthNo No No 1
No 1
No 1
(1)No 1
(2) No 1NT
(3)No 2
(4) No 2
No 3
No ??
(1) 2-way
(2) Relay
(3) 19-21 balanced
(4) Transfer to Spades
By rights I definitely ought to pass 3
: It looks as if Eszter is single-suited, and will certainly not have as much as a 7-count. I must confess, I was seduced by my 8 Controls, the fact that a shortage in either Minor in Eszter's hand would probably see us home and dry, and lastly that Eszter is not renowned for her bidding aggression, so she might well have something to spare for her invitation.
Her 1
Relay meant that Eszter was playing this one. East led the
6 and this is what Eszter could see
South (Dummy) AK3
AKJ
962
A874
6 ledNorth J108752
97
Q7
Q103
4
is not a good contract, needing 2-2 Spades and the Club king with West, or the
King singleton with East (in which case the Spade position doesn't really matter). In fact a number of Pairs were only making 8 tricks in whatever level of Spades they bid to.
With no opposition bidding, the
6 didn't look like a 4th best and Eszter sensibly didn't try for the finesse at trick 1 (East actually held
Q65432, though). Cashing the
AK she got the bad news that West held
Qxx. The
King and a
ruff followed (West discarded a low Diamond on the 3rd round of Hearts). The only real chance to make at this point was to find East with the singleton King of Clubs, but it wasn't to be. A Club to the Ace and a Club back towards the Q 10 found East with
KJ9.
East was clearly having a bad hair day, though, because after taking their two Club tricks they decided to lead...
...a 4th round of Hearts!!!! Eszter gratefully ruffed in Dummy and discarded one losing Diamond from her hand. The other losing Diamond in her hand was promptly discarded on Dummy's 13th Club!!
Who says crime doesn't pay?