22nd March 2017
The setting:               The home of Rodney Lighton for a semi-final of the Higson Cup between St Titus and Manchester S
The participants:       For St Titus Gary Hyett & Michael Newman, Alan Mould & Rodney Lighton
                                   For Manchester S Kevin & Celia Comrie, Raymond Semp & Peter Jones
The scene:                 Scoring up at half-time at the St Titus home table

Board 12:
Michael Newman      -2210
Alan Mould                 Win 12
Michael Newman      No we were -2210 ??
Alan Mould                 Yes win 12

A somewhat unusual conversation.  So what was the deal that produced this result?
Dealer West
 S
 KJ84
    
N/S Vul
 H
 832
    
    D K75
    
    C KQ3
    
S
 Q6
     S
 1052
H
 6
     H
 7
D
 J864
     D
 Q1032
C
 1098642
     C
 AJ75
    S
 A973    
    H
 AKQJ954    
    D
 A9    
    C
 -
    

You pick up the South hand and, before you have a chance to open out of turn, partner opens one club.  Systemically you are required to transfer to your suit so you respond one diamond.  Partner duly bids one heart so you know that he holds at least two hearts and normally a weak notrump.  The purists say you should not use Blackwood with a void but seven solid seems a respectable trump suit, so I ask for aces.  He has none, wonderful thinks I, he has opened the bidding with no aces so must have fillers in my other two suits and if there are any two way finesses to find it's partner's problem.  Seven hearts from me ends the auction.  We weren't doubled and the ace of clubs was led, which was trumped and there were now thirteen top tricks.

In the other room
South
 West
 North
 East

Pass
 1C Pass
1H Pass
 1NT Pass
2D Pass 2H Pass
4NT Pass 5C Pass
5NT Pass 7H Double
?



After North had opened one club (could be short) South responded one heart and North rebid one notrump (12-14), South bid two diamonds, game forcing check back *.   When North showed heart support South tried four notrumps, Roman Key Card Blackwood **. North showed no key cards and South asked for kings with five notrump, North leapt to the grand slam, presumably because he has all the missing kings, and the opponents doubled.  As South what do you bid?  

Alan Mould redoubled, reasoning that if thirteen tricks were makeable and the other table played in seven hearts, then the IMPs gained would be 12 instead of 8.  If only twelve tricks could be made and the other table played in small slam then the IMPs lost would be 18 instead of 17, so he was risking a further one IMP loss for a four IMP gain.

A club was led to the king and ace.  Declarer is still not out of the woods but there is only one way to play the spade suit and the bridge gods decided to favour declarer rather than the underdogs so St Titus chalked up 2940 and 12 IMPs.  Had the queen of spades been wrong then it would have been 21 IMPs to Manchester S, a potential 33 IMP swing.

St Titus went on to win a pleasant match played in a good spirit.

* Technically the correct bid is three hearts which is forcing and sets the suit as you are playing weak jump shifts at the two level, but you were in an unfamiliar partnership and unwilling to risk three hearts being passed.

** Again you might have chosen a different bid, five clubs, showing a void and asking for key cards, but ignoring the club ace.

Thanks to Peter Jones for reporting this deal.