LEARNING CENTER

This deal was played in the 2023 U.S. Team Trials "Round of 16." Because 2 teams had a Bye, there were only 12 teams in this round, all playing the same deals. This was Board 89 of a 120-Board match:

Vul:Both Dlr: West	J  AK103  AQ976  K72
Q1086542  J765  --  J5		A9  Q942  J832  Q43
	K73  8  K1054  A10986

Most Wests started with a spade preempt (some 2, others 3). North doubled. Most South players ended up in 3NT which was just a matter of overtricks.

At the table I was watching, I saw an interesting ping-pong battle. After 2 (X) 3, South bid 5. He might have tried 3NT or maybe even 4NT if that showed both minors. While 3NT (or 5) is easy, 5 proved entertaining.

West led a strange spade spot (the 4), hoping East could figure out that he had a void somewhere. East won the A and didn't realize that he could issue a diamond ruff. Had he done so, declarer would start clubs with the king and have to decide if West began with Jx or QJx. He could pick up trumps for no losers by playing for the former, but would West open 2 with 11 cards in the majors?

Anyway, at trick two, East returned a prosaic spade, won by declarer's king. Now declarer played a club to the king and another club to his 10. He was guarding against QJxx with East. However, when West won the J, he could defeat the contract.

Another spade would allow East to score the Q for down one.

But, from the bidding, East (and apparently, declarer) thought his partner had the third spade. He didn't want to issue a ruff-and-sluff (declarer might have a red-suit loser). He exited safely with a heart and this reprieve allowed declarer to draw the last trump and claim (there was no way to get the diamonds wrong).

The final laugh goes to (or against) declarer. This many-time national champion should have taken the precaution of playing the AK before playing trump. He would throw his third spade on the heart and then play the K and another club to the 10. That way, the unexpected 7-2 spade split couldn't have hurt him.

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