My Favorite Deal of the Night

[kenrexford]

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=sj10xxhj10xxdkxxcjx&w=skxhaxxxdq109xcqxx&e=saqxxhdaxxxcak10xx&s=sxxxhkqxxxdjxcxxx]399|300|Scoring: MP

Last deal of the night in the sectional tourney. Our table is behind, with 1st and 3rd overall at the table. Kibbitzers around.[/hv]

 

I was South. E-W are fairly good players, but they have elected to play Precision as an infrequent/new partnership.

 

My partner, North, years ago (1979) had played in the Vanderbilts with a hopeless team. Against a very good team (I can only remember Chazen from the story), the team he was on was down a bazillion. Chazen insulted him, so he got frisky. One of his favorite calls was a 2♥ overcall with xxx-KQxxxx-xx-xx after a 1NT opening, showing both majors. This blasted the opponents out of 4♠.

 

So, knowing the set-up. Partner passed, and East opened 1♣. Remembering the story, I doubled for the majors. West bid 1NT, and my partner bid 2♠. For some reason, East now bid 3♣. We passed throughout from this point on.

 

West bid 3♥, and East 3♠. I passed, which meant something (lead hearts). West bid 3NT, and that was the contract. Obviously, we have messed them out of 6♣ or 6♦. Plus, partner made the winning heart lead, obviously.

 

West, however, had a sense of humor. When he saw dummy, he realized that North or South was being funny. I was suspected (no! not me?!?!?). North has a tendency to be ready to pounce on any perceived mistake. So, West executed a beautiful variety of squeeze, rarely described.

 

The end position was such that he had an obvious diamond-spade squeeze against North (after ducking two hearts to rectify the count). However, that is boring.

 

Rather, he came down to ♠Kx ♥x ♦Q10 as his last five cards. I had saved down to one heart, the diamond Jack, and three spades, keeping the "who's fibbin?" somewhat a mystery (yeah, right). On the last club, I pitched the diamond Jack, West the diamond Queen, and North the diamond King. West them claimed three spades and the diamond 10.

 

Do you see the subtlety? With the J-Q-K just played, it appeared to North that my diamond pitch had squeezed him. Had I just saved the diamond Jack, then when West pitches the Q from Q10 tight of diamonds, North is no longer...wait a minute!

 

North bought it and started the tyrade. LOLOL