A Lucky Save

't Veld
February 1, 2001

E-W Vul	7 5 8 5 J 8 5 3 A J 9 4 2
K 10 A Q J 9 4 K Q K 8 7 3		A J 3 K 10 7 3 10 7 4 Q 6 5
	Q 9 8 6 4 2 6 2 A 9 6 2 10

West 1 3 5 ??

North Pass Pass All Pass

East 2 NT* 4

South Pass 4 ?!

Two notrump showed around 10 points with heart support. In the first round of bidding I did not like my hand enough to enter the bidding, but at the second turn the hand became better. It seemed that my partner had some points and something in spades and/or diamonds because the opponents didn't showed sleminterest and probably had a double fit in hearts and clubs.

Because the vulnerability was in our favour I gambled a four spade save. As you can see from the diagram, this was in the bullseye. If the cards are played right, four spades only goes down three and four hearts is unbeatable. The result became even better when west took the bait and moved on to five hearts which was beaten by one trick.

Everyone just looked strangely at me when all those spade honours appeared in dummy and declarers hand and probably thought I had gone mad. I apologized and eagerly wrote down +100 when the hand was finished.

Note that it actually was a good save, because if you play the cards right, four spades only goes down 3.