Things have gone well for us so far. My partner is a good technical player whose superior declarer play has already netted us a few IMPs. We have generated a few good swings, but have been fixed a few times as well. I imagine us sitting at about +15, which is a great position to have at this point in the match. Three more sessions like this and the big money will be ours.

I am happy that partner is energetic, but I am relieved that his overenthusiasm isn't likely to wear on me over the next two days. We are playing with screens throughout the event, so if either of us makes a mistake, then at least he won't have to live with the penetrating stares coming from across the table. Furthermore, my partner is an anal­retentive non­smoker. (I believe he called himself allergic or something.) Whatever the case, he won't be with me to talk to between rounds, either.

I return to the table to find everyone waiting for me. This round, we have drawn a husband and wife. Their success in this event will be determined by whether they can both control their respective blood pressures. Apparently, they have a history of fighting with each other and then falling apart. Everyone at the table appears to be very serious, however, and I imagine that they haven't yet started fighting. I wonder if this will change sometime soon?

Vul: None
Dlr: Righty
Q 6 5   Q 10 9 7 5   Q 9 8 5   5

Righty, the husband of the pair, starts with ONE DIAMOND, a contract which I vote for with a PASS. Lefty bids ONE SPADE and partner makes a takeout DOUBLE which is PASSED to me. My hand is a piece of garbage except for my long hearts. A 3 preempt would be nice, if only our system allowed it. I bid TWO HEARTS with eyes of competing to 3 if the auction comes back around to me.

Well, things got a little high all of a sudden. Lefty bids THREE DIAMONDS followed by THREE HEARTS and FOUR DIAMONDS. My turn.

I seem to have three real options: Double, 4 or Pass. Furthermore, my only real offensive values are my 5 hearts and my only real defensive values are my 4 diamonds. Double seems like a reasonable action with 4 trumps, but if it backfires, then it will be bloody. I would be wagering the gain of 50 points for 4 down 1 against the loss of 380 points for 4 making. This makes the action horrible at IMPs, but my choice at matchpoints.

I recall that partner competed with 3 and they have been bidding diamonds like crazy. Partner probably has a diamond void and four (maybe five) trumps with me. If only I could remember what that Cohen guy wrote about the Law of Total Tricks. Chances are that one of us is on for 10 tricks, and FOUR HEARTS looks like good insurance against any other possible result.

The next thing I see is a shock: three green cards on the table.
Who forgot to double?
It sure sounded like our opponents had the world and we had nothing on this board.
Maybe I should have doubled 4?

Lefty leads the 10 and dummy comes down.

Vul: None Dlr: Righty				PARD (dummy) K J 8 7 4 A K 3 2 - A J 9 6
ME -- Pass 2 4	LEFTY -- 1 3 Pass	PARD -- Double 3 Pass	RIGHTY 1 Pass 4 Pass
				ME Q 6 5 Q 10 9 7 5 Q 9 8 5 5

I look down at my 9 and think to myself, "Gee, what a strange lead.." I look at their convention card: no coded 9's and 10's; no Rusinow leads; and no check mark in the "strange leads" box. Puzzled, I eventually break down and ask righty, "What does the lead of a 10 show? Anything special?" He just shakes his head. Strange..

It probably won't matter anyway. 4 looks like an icicle­ raking in 3 spade tricks, 5 hearts, 1 club and 1 diamond ruff at least. If the hearts break 2-2 and spades break 4-1, then I will make 6 by scoring 2 diamond ruffs in dummy.

Accordingly, I ruff in dummy and try the A.
The good news is that I didn't choose to double 4.
The bad news is that lefty discarded the 2 on that high heart.

Next, I tried a spade to the Q and A, righty discarding the 8. They are playing standard signals, so I'm pretty confident that lefty will return a club. This will allow me to make 10 tricks by pulling trumps and double­finessing in spades for 3 spade tricks, 5 hearts, 1 diamond ruff and 1 club. A spade return amounts to the same thing. The only return that will hurt me is a diamond.

Sure as daylight, she returns the 7.

PARD (dummy) K J 8 7 K 3 - A J 9 6

ME 6 5 Q 10 9 7 Q 9 8 5