23rd October 2019

Dealer West
S
A95
   
Love All
H
J6542
   
    D 103    
    C QJ8
   
S
J832
    S
K1076
H
K
    H
AQ1093
D
KQJ9764
    D
A
C
10
    C
643
    S
Q4
   
    H
87
   
    D
852
   
    C
AK9752
   


South
West
North
East

1D Pass 1H
3C Pass Pass Double
Pass 3D 4C Double
Pass 4S Pass 5D
Pass Pass Pass




This deal from the first round of the Higson Cup featured a number of interesting bidding decisions.

First the opening bid.  John Holland decided that the West hand was too good to pre-empt, and also with a side four card major was not suitable.  In the other room West opened three diamonds, that ended the auction.  After East responded one heart South made a weak jump overcall of three clubs.  When this came round to East he doubled for take out.  West had a close decision, he chose to repeat his good long diamond suit rather than introduce the weak spades.  North now raised to four clubs; a raise on the previous round would have given the opponents less bidding room and been more effective.  East doubled again for take out and West now admitted to his four card spade suit.  East now had a good picture of West's hand since he had preferred to bid diamonds rather than spades at the three level and decided that the strong diamond fit was probably better than the weak four-four spade fit.

The play in five diamonds was fairly simple, West trumped the second club, cashed the diamond ace, came back to hand with the heart king and drew trumps.  He then played a spade to the king and threw losing spades on the top hearts.  Four spades will make, but is rather more precarious on continued club leads.