Loading ...diamonds never split
This time last year we were on our way up north to a lakeside cabin where George and the kids and I slept late, played Battleship, went out on the boat and visited Peg in Minneapolis on our way home. We couldn’t make it to Turkey, left Nashville early, skipped Omaha (next year, I swear!) and missed all the fun in Hunt Valley; came home from the cabin vowing to go back every summer. Stay longer. A month. The whole summer … didn’t work out that way. This has been a very different summer than I expected, but I’m loving every minute of it.
Perhaps you recognize the headline phrase, an infamous excuse for an impossible play. “At this tournament,” an international star is widely reported to have said to a a committee brought against him for cheating, “diamonds never split.” At the time it sounded to me like the most ridiculous thing a guilty man could say; perhaps it still is.
Or almost. I’ve got this same hand that’s been chasing me all over the place and it’s making me reconsider how thoroughly absurd I thought that guy was to suggest, at least in part, that once in a while hands follow a pattern of their own. When the same hand keeps coming up, over and over again, I start to think maybe he was on to something. This summer, we always make a diamond slam.
On Monday we played (east west, of course) the 9a MP Speedball and Judi had the hand; she held 2 / A / AKJ97632 / KQ6, white against red. Lefty opened 1NT (11-14), partner passed and righty bid 2C. We learned to open these hands 2C because 3C is so unwieldy, but here the opponents have gotten in our way. What do you want to do over 2C?
This morning’s 9a SB (North-South! Amazing!) featured the other hand we’ve seen very recently. Judi opened 1D and I held A4 / AQ8 / KT87 / AJ87. I was ready to bid 2D (inverted) when righty bid 2H. I could jump to 4D (keycard for Diamonds), but that seemed a little pushy. I cuebid 3H (Diamond raise) and Judi bid 3S. Is 4D still keycard? Is that the right thing to do next?
“Twice we’ve needed two-two Diamonds for seven,” Judi reminded me. And this summer, Diamonds always split.
August 7th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
You are in a bit of a tough spot. I think I would PASS 2C and see what happens. I can always bid 5D later if I need to.
If it goes 2S P P back to me I will bid 3S and hope my partner bids 3N. It comes back to me at 2H then I bid 3N.
If they bid to the 4 level then I bid 5D.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Sorry that I won’t see you Up North this year, Red.
We will just have to schedule SOMETHING else!
And yes; you gotta attend Nebraska Regional next year. It is toooo fun! Teams from even Japan showed up this tourney!
August 8th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I’m inclined to bid 3NT on the 1st one (in spite of the ’spoiler’ that it likely makes a diamond slam) and 4NT on the 2nd one.
No guarantees on 3NT. Might end up looking very silly (could be down in 3NT while cold for diamond slam.) But it’s matchpoints and partner’s allowed to have a slow spade stopper (she likely has 4 of them) and nothing else in which case all we make is 3N. Maybe the opponents will lead the wrong suit. I think the bid tends to show something like this hand (a running minor and usually 2 suits stopped outside.)
On the 2nd one I think 4NT should probably be quantitative with diamond support (which is pretty much what you have) but if she takes it as straight keycard that’s not the end of the world either.