Sometimes we get the most amazing and expected results from a hand. I was Dummy on this one playing with a pick-up Partner, who opened a 15-17 1NT at Game All. With some trepidation (waiting for the penalty double) I passed on:
North
982
J1092
108
10972
...anticipating a bloodbath, despite my lovely intermediates.
North (Dummy) 982
J1092
108
10972
3 ledSouth K73
Q765
AKJ97
Q
Well the opening Lead must have been a pleasant surprise for Declarer (Dummy's 8 was covered by East's Queen), who is now going to be a maximum of -2 if he cashes all of the Diamonds. My Partner played this very cannily (almost as well as EW defended appallingly LOL): He won the first trick with the Ace and switched to a small Heart, which was taken by East's Ace.
East cashed the Ace of Spades (so Declarer now only -1) and switched to the
Jack, which trick was won by West's King, and they returned to Diamonds. Declarer won in Dummy and exited with the
Jack. West took their King and persisted with the Diamonds (even though the 10 had won the previous trick LOL). Declarer cashed all the Diamonds, chucking Spades and Clubs from my hand, and then a Heart to Dummy's 10 and a Heart back to the Queen. Unsurprising. West was reluctant to part with their
Ace (they'd started with AK stiff) and came down to the stiff
Jack, and East had already blanked their
Queen, and Declarer made the last 2 tricks in Spades for two overtricks!
Just shows you should never give up. This was a hand from the vugraph archives. Originally 9 tricks were made by EW in Clubs at each table, but one pair were in 3 !DC and the other in 4
. I don't think 3NT +2 by South would have entered into anyone's imagination on this one LOL.
