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"Three down" I announced at the bar.
"What?!?!" was the cry from partner.
"Only joking. I made it with a little help from the defence."
After a fairly disastrous pre-congress pairs my partner and I had embarked on the voyage that was the Championship Pairs. Session One was very good, with Session Two less so. Session Three had been ticking along OK when we finally reached the final board of the Championship.
"What?!?!" was the cry from partner.
"Only joking. I made it with a little help from the defence."
After a fairly disastrous pre-congress pairs my partner and I had embarked on the voyage that was the Championship Pairs. Session One was very good, with Session Two less so. Session Three had been ticking along OK when we finally reached the final board of the Championship.
Here is the hand with me South (rotated for convenience):
|
Both Vuln
Dealer N |
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|  |
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After two passes I opened 1
, doubled by West. Partner raised preemptively to 3, showing four card support and fewer than six points, spurning the available 3
bid to show 6-9 points and four card support [No, I don't know why either. It was the last board! -Ed]. East, who had presumably heard of the pending launch of poorbridge.com and wanted a piece of the action, entered the auction with a fairly wild 3
. I didn't quite feel that I was worth a double given partner could have absolutely nothing. Looking back, if I had passed, West would no doubt bid 4 opposite his partner's free spade bid, which I could have doubled. This goes for +800 on a forcing heart defence. Instead I decided to raise to 4 which gave West a fairly easy choice to double and attempt to take +200 on a part score board.
, doubled by West. Partner raised preemptively to 3, showing four card support and fewer than six points, spurning the available 3 bid to show 6-9 points and four card support [No, I don't know why either. It was the last board! -Ed]. East, who had presumably heard of the pending launch of poorbridge.com and wanted a piece of the action, entered the auction with a fairly wild 3. I didn't quite feel that I was worth a double given partner could have absolutely nothing. Looking back, if I had passed, West would no doubt bid 4 opposite his partner's free spade bid, which I could have doubled. This goes for +800 on a forcing heart defence. Instead I decided to raise to 4 which gave West a fairly easy choice to double and attempt to take +200 on a part score board.
The bidding had been:
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | Pass | 1 | |
| X | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| X | AP |
West, quite reasonably, led a small spade. Partner spread the dummy, got out of his seat and wandered off to the bar to catch last orders. The dummy was most suitable and I saw 4 had good play so long as I took the right view in hearts and found a working diamond or club finesse. It was nice to not have to worry too much when the defence made it easy by showing me where every key card was.
had good play so long as I took the right view in hearts and found a working diamond or club finesse. It was nice to not have to worry too much when the defence made it easy by showing me where every key card was.
The spade ran around to the J and A, and I immediately exited with a spade, covered by West's 10. East had a little think and eventually overtook with the Q. Not a bad play, you're probably thinking. But which killer switch did he have in mind? Nope - probably not the one you're thinking of. Unless you were thinking the J. That's right, the J!!! Quite what the thinking was there I don't know.
J and A, and I immediately exited with a spade, covered by West's 10. East had a little think and eventually overtook with the Q. Not a bad play, you're probably thinking. But which killer switch did he have in mind? Nope - probably not the one you're thinking of. Unless you were thinking the J. That's right, the J!!! Quite what the thinking was there I don't know.
West took the A and had the opportunity to make me guess in diamonds before I could test the clubs. But West felt that East couldn't take all the credit for poor bridge and decided to get in on the act by cashing the 
A! The diamond switch finally materialised but I rose with the ace, spurning the working finesse, and ruffed a diamond to hand. After successfully cashing K I claimed on a high cross ruff. +790 was a decent end to the day.
A and had the opportunity to make me guess in diamonds before I could test the clubs. But West felt that East couldn't take all the credit for poor bridge and decided to get in on the act by cashing the A! The diamond switch finally materialised but I rose with the ace, spurning the working finesse, and ruffed a diamond to hand. After successfully cashing K I claimed on a high cross ruff. +790 was a decent end to the day.
I wandered off to the bar, picked up my waiting pint, and explained to partner and anyone else who cared to listen just how easy the contract was.