Slow Motion Train Wreck

I like to watch bridge from time to time.  Sometimes you can see the disaster that will unfold in a few minutes.  (Some times you can be part of one too).  Watching Dan Morse playing with Nagy Kamel on BBO today against Mildred Breed and Marinesa Letizia I saw this layout with nobody vulnerable.

As I watching I saw Mildred think for a bit and then decide to pass the two heart contract out.  Now Nagy thought.  This is a dangerous holding to balance on with three trump, only three cards in the other major and a balanced hand.  And you just knew what was going to happen and as you can see it did.  Going three down in two spades doubled was a loss of almost 10 imps and the worse score on the sheet.

I had one myself a few days ago.  I think I could have avoided it but

In retrospect I did a few things wrong.  I should have bid three diamonds over 2NT rather than 3NT.  I just thought since I had such good major suit cards and no fit that 3NT would be the right spot but this choice led to the next problem.  When Sylvia bid 4NT I thought that my seven card diamond suit made slam probable so I bid six diamonds.  Now the trains were headed down the track.  When East doubled for a club lead I wanted to redouble, but in a new partnership I was afraid that it wouldn’t be understood.  I can’t blame Sylvia for her attempt to protect the club king.  With her pull to 6NT the trains had collided and from my South seat when Sylvia started to think I could see it happening.  The funny thing was that I was in the midst of an electrical storm.  The power had already gone down for a few minutes early and just a few tricks into the hand the power came down again.  The weather matched my mood.

Have you seen any train wrecks recently.