I've once again entered a team into the SBU Bronze League, an excellent event run on Wednesday evenings. This season it's been a struggle getting a team, and we've actually forfeited two matches for the first time ever. I've played myself several times, which is always a pleasure, but can be sometimes be difficult when I've got the children, and once I had to drive off to get Alex while I was dummy.
Here is an interesting hand from last week's match, an excellent win against 6NoChumps:
We open a Weak NT and don't play Stayman or transfers. I wasn't prepared to pass that South hand so overbid with 3♠. Luckily partner had a maximum with three Spades and bid the game.
West paused for a long time, before passing this out and leading Diamonds. Only after I ruffed the second Diamond did I realise I might have just made a mistake. What if trumps are 5-0 (explaining West's long pause)? By ruffing I have now shortened my trumps to less than West, so now I'm possibly going to lose control of the hand. Perhaps I should have just let the defence win that second Diamond (throwing a losing Heart), then if they keep playing Diamonds I can handle it by ruffing in dummy.
As it happens, trumps were 3-2 and it was fine. I made 4♠=, a good result duplicated at the other table (when they also didn't both ducking the second Diamond).
Looking at it more closely, I think you may still be in trouble if Spades are 5-0 and you duck that second Diamond. If the defender with 5 Spades ducks the first two rounds of trumps, then wins the third and plays Diamonds (once there are none left in dummy) you still end up shortening your trumps. So I think you'd still fail if trumps are 5-0, though not by as many tricks.
I think the point of the hand is this: when it looks easy consider what could go wrong (trumps 5-0), if you can do anything about it (duck the second Diamond), and if it's worth doing so (not sure).
