How bad is “worst”?

Robert Carr of the Scottish Junior team insists that this hand from Round 22 is a candidate for a worst-played hand award. Writing about it may prove cathartic, so:

Love All Dealer North
	ª J 10 © A Q 3 ¨ A Q 9 6 3 § K 10 5
ª A K 8 6 5 3 © 8 6 ¨ 8 § A 8 7 6		ª - © K J 10 7 4 2 ¨ 10 5 4 2 § J 9 3
	ª Q 9 7 4 2 © 9 5 ¨ K J 7 § Q 4 2

Our hero sat North, and opened a strong no-trump as you would if those were your methods. The Swedish East bid 2¨, Multi, weak in either major or strong in a minor. South overbid with a forcing 3ª, North bid 3NT, and West doubled confidently.

East knew he was supposed to lead a spade, but for some reason he selected a diamond. Robert rose confidently with the king in dummy. He tried a spade, West took the king, and East discarded an encouraging heart. West led ©8, ducked to the ten. East returned another diamond and declarer continued the attack on dummy’s entries by winning the jack. He tried a cunning psychological play of the queen of spades, but West was not put off - he won the ace and played his second heart. Unluckily East’s king beat the queen and he cleared the suit,

Robert now crossed to dummy with the queen of clubs, but West meanly produced the ace and returned a club. Another finesse lost, and East cashed the rest of his hearts.

It was unfortunate for Robert that East had not kept all his hearts. That would have given him the chance to misguess at trick twelve for six down. As it was he could claim the last two tricks with the ace of diamonds and the king of clubs. Only four down

3NT can actually be made on a diamond lead, though declarer has to read the position. At trick five, instead of playing a spade, declarer should start to run his diamonds, keeping a close eye on West’s discards. After cashing the diamonds, declarer removes West’s possible exit card by cashing the ace of hearts. When West is down to six black cards, probably ªA86 §A87 a discard from either suit will be fatal. Parting with a spade allows declarer to play the jack of spades and overtake it, and parting with a club sees declarer again play the jack of spades. If declarer ducks, declare makes the key play of the king of clubs from hand. If West ducks he is thrown in with a club, so he wins and exits with a club, but now declarer wins in dummy and must make a spade trick. So Robert slopped only three doubled undertricks on a hand he could have made - surely not a record?

(A club lead, certainly the least likely on the East hand, will defeat the contract.)

Return of the Rueful Rabbit

If you study the profile of the Turkish players in yesterday’s bulletin, you will see that Sinan Tatlicioglu is know as ‘Rabbit’. We cannot say if that is in any way connected with Victor Mollo’s immortal character from the Menagerie, but by a strange coincidence Sinan was involved in the following deal.

Round 22/10. Board 17. Dealer North. Non Vul.
	ª A Q 6 4 3 © A Q 9 ¨ K Q 2 § K 10
ª 8 5 2 © K 10 5 2 ¨ 10 7 6 4 3 § A		ª K J 10 7 © J ¨ A J 9 8 5 § 7 6 3
	ª 9 © 8 7 6 4 3 ¨ - § Q J 9 8 5 4 2

Four Hearts was a transfer to clubs, but North forgot! Of course, his luck was in, as Five Clubs can be defeated by an initial heart lead, and Four Hearts could not be defeated thanks to the location of the king of hearts, and West’s unguarded ace of clubs.

Page 4 of 5