Nice Recovery

Teams competition
December 4, 2006

	Q x A J 8 J 9 x x A 10 9 x
Lead: x	K 10 x x Q 9 x x x K x J x

After a 1NT opener by east I became declarer in 2. (Playing Lionel I doubled to shown a 2-suited hand with spades, north inquired with 2, doubled by east, and I bid 2).

East won the K and played back a heart for dummy's jack. The Q was for easts ace who continued with the A and a small diamond for my king.

As east is obviously out of hearts it looked safe to run the J for easts king. He returned a small diamond, ruffed by south. I had reached the following ending needing 5 more tricks:

	x A J A 10 9
	K 10 x Q 9 x

Eight tricks can easily be made by ruffing a spade with the heart ace, ruff a diamond back to hand, pull trumps and cash your tricks. However, I was to eager to try for overtricks and I misplayed the hand by playing a club to the 9. My plan was to pull trumps and throw my spades on the clubs. However, east won with the queen (not surprisingly) and returned a small club. Now what?

Damn, I had not forseen this. Now I had to struggle for 8 tricks. Obviously east has a 5-card club suit giving the bidding and play and west will ruff with the 10 when given the chance. So, I had to ruff with the Q. Then I crossed to the A to cash my A. And now the final ending was:

	x - J -
	K 10 - - -

A spade to the king dropped wests spade jack as he had been squeezed in diamonds and spades. The full deal:

	Q x A J 8 J 9 x x A 10 9 x
J 9 8 7 10 x x Q x x x x x		A x x K x A x x K Q x x x
	K 10 x x Q 9 x x x K x J x

Actually there is a 100% line for 8 tricks, with a safe way to try for an overtrick. Instead of playing a club to the 9, I should have ruffed a spade with the heart ace, ruff a diamond (which strips east of spades and diamonds), pull trumps and then play the club ace and club 10. This gives 8 tricks and as east has only clubs left, the club 9 will be the 9th trick.