Thin Aggregate Games

Board 6. Turriff Charity Pairs. 26/03/05

E/W Vul.  Dealer: E. Aggregate Pairs

	K 10 9 4 3 A Q 4 K 5 4 3 9
6 5 2 8 5 A J 9 A 8 7 6 3	N W E S	A 8 7 J 10 3 10 7 6 2 K J 2
	Q J K 9 7 6 2 Q 8 Q 10 5 4

East	South	West	North
Pass	Pass	Pass	1
Pass	2	Pass	4
Pass	Pass	Pass

Precious few N/S hands to play and E/W had three Slams available (One Grand) and a potential score of about 4000.  Most Tournament players bid these marginal hands to game.

Rather strangely, a small Club was led, East returns the Heart three and I thought about the nine, but decided I might need all my high trumps.  With two more Aces to smoke out, the hand is never easy, but at least I hadn't been forced in Clubs (yet), which is very difficult to handle.

Winning the QH, I played a small Spade to the QS and then the JS, overtaken with the K and Ace.  Now Jack of Hearts to the Ace in Dummy and a small Diamond to the Queen and Ace and West now plays a Club, ruffed in Dummy and I play the winning Spades.

If East ruffs, I can over-ruff with the King of Diamonds being the entry back to the table, and if he doesn't, I discard my losers.

If I'm forced in Clubs immediately, trick two (i.e. a Club played every time E/W are on lead), there will be a Heart loser as well.  10 tricks +420, perhaps fortuitous that East had the three Hearts.