Jennbridge: First Round--2nd Session

There seems to be renewed interest in the importance of getting good results in the first round of a session.  I heard several remarks emphasizing this point while at the regional in Santa Clara last week.

With a good first session behind us, we sat down for the evening session against an expert and client.  I found myself in a routine 3NT with this hand:

Sitting East (again) I opened 1NT in 4th seat, partner transferred to hearts and signed off in 3NT.  A spade was led.  How should I play the hand?

♠	K 4 2
♥	Q 9 5 4 3
♦	9 7
♣	A Q 4

♠	A Q
♥	J 8
♦	K Q 8 5
♣	K 10 9 8 2

How can I get more than the obvious number of tricks? Maybe I could get some extra tricks in hearts.  With that in mind I led a club to the queen and returned a heart from the board.  The expert on my right followed with the ♥10 and my LHO was in.  Now he started thinking.

He had seen me win the spade lead with the queen so he knew I had 3 tricks in spades.  My club queen had held so he knew I had club tricks.  I was working on hearts so I probably had good hearts.  He therefore switched to diamonds--a result that I didn't mind at all.

A funny thing happened on the play of the diamonds.

Board 31 South Deals N-S Vul	♠ J 10 6 5 ♥ 10 ♦ A 6 4 3 2 ♣ J 5 3
♠ K 4 2 ♥ Q 9 5 4 3 ♦ 9 7 ♣ A Q 4	N W E S	♠ A Q ♥ J 8 ♦ K Q 8 5 ♣ K 10 9 8 2
	♠ 9 8 7 3 ♥ A K 7 6 2 ♦ J 10 ♣ 7 6

He led the jack and RHO won the ace and continued the suit!  Now the ♦10 fell and my remaining diamonds were good!  It was an easy matter to cash out for 11 tricks.

Plus 460 was worth 16 out of 17 matchpoints--a 3-way tie for top.

**

Board 32 West Deals E-W Vul	♠ A K 9 ♥ A 9 8 4 3 ♦ Q 7 ♣ K Q 3
♠ J 10 4 2 ♥ Q 10 7 ♦ J 5 ♣ J 10 9 6	N W E S	♠ Q 8 6 5 3 ♥ J 5 2 ♦ A 8 3 ♣ 7 2
	♠ 7 ♥ K 6 ♦ K 10 9 6 4 2 ♣ A 8 5 4

On the second board of the round North (RHO) was in 3NT and I led a 4th best spade.  She won with the ace and led the ♦Q from her hand.  I ducked!  Now look what happened.

She now had to decide how to play the diamonds.  Who had the ace?  After thinking about it for a while she led a diamond to the 10!  My partner won the jack and cleared the spades.  Now she couldn't really come to 9 tricks.  When I got in with the ♦A, I cashed the spades for a one trick set.

Plus 50 was worth 13 of 17 matchpoints.

**

Board 33 North Deals None Vul	♠ J 9 5 3 2 ♥ J 3 ♦ K 8 ♣ Q 9 8 3
♠ Q 10 8 ♥ 10 9 6 5 ♦ 10 9 7 6 ♣ A J	N W E S	♠ A 4 ♥ A K Q 7 ♦ A Q 4 3 2 ♣ 10 7
	♠ K 7 6 ♥ 8 4 2 ♦ J 5 ♣ K 6 5 4 2

 Holding the East hand I opened 2NT.  Although our convention card is marked "20-21", this fine hand (5-card suit, all prime cards) was easily worth an upgrade.

After a puppet Stayman sequence (3♣, 3♦, 3♠, 4♥) we settled in 4♥.  A heart was led and I played the 10 from the board, hoping that it was covered as I might need an extra dummy entry. I drew trump ending on the board and took the diamond finesse which won.  The diamond honors then tumbled down together and  I cashed the diamonds and came back to my hand with the ♠A to pitch my losing club from the board on the long diamond in my hand.  The only trick lost was a spade. 

Plus 480 was worth 12 of 17 matchpoints. Our session was off to a good start.

See you at the table!