25th November 2015

Dealer South
S
84
   
Love All
H
K862
   
    D 742
   
    C J1095
   
S
K1075
    S
32
H
J
    H
AQ53
D
Q9853
    D
AKJ6
C
A43
    C
876
    S
AQJ95
   
    H
10974
   
    D
10
   
    C
KQ2
   


This deal is from a recent first division league match between St Titus and Agamemnon.  It is sometimes surprising where IMPs come from.  When St Titus were East-West South opened one spade, passed round to East who doubled, West bid two diamonds and that was the end of the auction.  Both players (especially West)  have been mildly conservative, either might have bid three diamonds, and when eleven tricks were made with the aid of the heart finesse they were worried that a game swing was imminent.  Three notrump also makes East-West.

In the other room East-West bid even less.  North decided to respond one notrump to the opening bid, despite being somewhat short of the traditional values.  This is quite a good tactic especially non-vulnerable, it may well improve the contract and makes it more difficult for East-West to compete.  It is only likely to misfire if South has a very strong hand.  East now passed (he might have doubled) and when South rebid two hearts that was the end of the auction.  Two hearts is a fine contract, which was unlucky to go off with several finesses wrong and a four-one break.  East-West were pleasantly surprised to be gaining three IMPs on the board instead of losing six as they had feared.