A Quiet Stanze … Segment 6

There were few swings in Segment 6.  Board 82 was the biggest.  Grue and Lall had the machinery to get to the safest spot.  Here was the deal:

Dealer: Vul: N-S	North ♠ J3 ♥ 1054 ♦ K5 ♣ Q107653
Grue/Diamond ♠ 107 ♥ KJ872 ♦ A63 ♣ A84		Lall/Platnick ♠ AKQ65 ♥ Q63 ♦ Q10 ♣ J92
	South ♠ 9842 ♥ A9 ♦ J98742 ♣ K

Lall opened 1NT in first and Grue transferred with 2♦ .  Lall bid 2♥ and Grue bid 2♠ which was a relay to 2NT.  When Lall bid 2NT Grue bid 3NT which said even with 3 hearts it is okay to play notrump.  Lall decide to pass 3NT.  3NT is safe on this particular deal.  At the other table Diamond and Platnick arrived in the more usual but tougher 4♥ .  The opening lead was the ♦ 8 and Platnick ducked it.  He won the diamond return with his ♦ Q.  He played a heart South played the H9 and West won the ♥ J in dummy.  If you knew the hearts where breaking for sure that would be one thing but you don’t you might still make it if hearts don’t break and you have two heart losers if spades are 3-3.  Given that does it hurt to cross to dummy on a spade and lead another heart up?  Does it help?  Well on this hand it does help.  South has to win the heart ace and if he returns a diamond the ♥ Q is still in dummy to overruff North.  Maybe this is the right play.  I am not sure.  I do know it would work on this deal.

Going to the break the BBO score says Bathurst 194 and Diamond 142.  But checking on the USBF website the score is actually Bathurst 209 and DIamond 145.  I have found that there have been quite a few discrepancy with the BBO score this time.

Diamond usually has a good finish.  Let’s see how they do tonight.  I think either team will make a terrific representative in the Bermuda Bowl.