Misadventures In Manhattan

A practice session with the client produced some interesting hands. She plays very few conventions, so the bidding is often almost Acol-like in tone. But we are fairly well used to each other by now, and seem to be getting to most things.

A double squeeze materialized on this hand.



At the end of the hand, I was the only declarer taking 12 tricks. West berated his partner for not switching to a diamond after winning the AC. That's asking a lot, though, considering East's holding. But a spade switch looks pretty normal, and would be enough to break up the squeeze. Attacking declarer's communications is the commonest form of squeeze defence, if you can see one coming. Of course, in this case, East had no inkling that a squeeze might be possible. He should have counter-attacked in the post mortem by telling West to save his AD. That would have worked too.

This slam was played in 6S+1 at most tables.



As you can see, there are tricks to spare in spades. One pair tried 7NT, which means taking either the heart finesse (which works) or the diamond finesse (which doesn't). Minus 1, which serves them right for being greedy. Nobody got to 7S, though, which is a bit disappointing across sixteen tables. Without any tools, I wasn't about to put the client in the grand, but I knew that if she had close to her bid it must be good. Playing with Agent 99 or Elwood, I would hope to generate a more workmanlike sequence out of a splinter and 1430.
1S-4H; 4N-5H; 5N-6C; 7S-P; looks perfectly reasonable.

This gamble shouldn't have worked. But I thought it looked good, until I saw the dummy.



It was speculative, no doubt. But I counted on partner producing six or seven clubs to the king and not a lot else. On a heart opening attack, I figured I would have eight top tricks, and some chance of a ninth. As it was, if East doesn't cash the heart ace, I think I'm done. Even worse, if she had ducked on the first round of clubs, I'd be lucky to make any more than six tricks.

You don't just have to pick the hand: you also have to pick the opponents.