AJ10 / 
A6
/ 
AK10852 / 
Q4Paging Victor Mollo
I've had several experiences where I felt like the "Rueful Rabbit," a character created by bridge writer Victor Mollo. The Rabbit makes ludicrous bids and plays, but a guardian angel ensures that everything comes out for the best. Today's hand, however, was the first time I felt like Mollo's "Hideous Hog," who skillfully makes the impossible contracts he often lands in when partnered with the Rabbit. The deal was straight out of a Mollo story.
Playing pairs, we are at favorable vulnerability, and I pick up:
AJ10 / A6
/ AK10852 / Q4
I am in fourth position, and after the dealer passes, my partner
opens 1. My RHO passes. We play old-fashioned strong
jump shifts, so I bid 3. With the opponents silent,
my partner rebids 3.
What next? We could belong in hearts, diamonds, or notrump.
I think it's important to get notrump into the picture, so I bid 3.
I don't think this will mislead partner, as I pretty much denied having four
spades by bidding 3 over 1.
I guess it did mislead partner, because his next call is 6!
Now what? I could go to 6NT, I suppose, but we might be in trouble on a club
lead. I guess I'll just pass. Hopefully we have enough power to make it on our
4-3 spade fit.
If only! The opening lead is the J, and partner
calmly says, "I didn't see how to get there scientifically," as he
puts down:
| K Q 5 K 10 9 7 5 3 7 A K 5 |
||
 |
||
|
|
W |
N |
E |
S |
P |
1 |
P |
3 |
P |
3 |
P |
3 |
P |
6 |
AP |
We're in slam on a 3-3 trump fit! Goodness.
Drawing trump hardly seems like a good plan. Even if they split 4-3, I can't draw them all, and so even if I get a good heart break I'll have to lose at least a trump and a heart. But at least I have the side suits well controlled. In fact, I have seven top tricks in the side suits.
Wait a minute . . . seven top tricks . . .
What about a cross ruff? That's what the Hideous Hog always does on this kind of hand. The books say that if your top tricks in the side suits plus your ruffing tricks get you what you need, you can make your contract on a cross ruff. You're supposed to cash your side suit tricks first.
So, hoping for normal breaks, I win the first trick with the
Q, followed by the AK
(discarding a diamond from my hand). Everyone follows. Now let's try the AK.
No one ruffs, so everything's good so far. Next the AK.
Still no ruffs! Now if diamonds would just split 3-3 I'd make all thirteen tricks.
I lead another diamond out of my hand, and West stares at it
for quite a while. Eventually he discards a club! I ruff with the 5.
Now I lead a heart from dummy and it's East's turn to go into the tank. To put
the defenders out of their misery, I claim the rest on a high cross ruff. Making
7 for +1010 -- with only six trumps!
West could have held me to six by ruffing my third diamond,
forcing me to overuff with an honor, and doing the same on the next diamond.
Then East would have been in a position to overruff my trump five on the last
trick. But I guess West didn't want to reduce his trump holding (he had 9643).
The overtrick was important, because the field was in 6NT making 6 for +990,
with a few +980s in 6, also some +480s and +490s.
Obviously there is no way to make 7 in hearts or notrump, so I expect a cold
top.
In fact we get 22 and a half matchpoints out of 23. A half? How did anyone else make +1010? Perhaps the field had two Hideous Hogs.
The full deal was:
| K Q 5
K 10 9 7 5 3 7
A K 5 |
||||
|
|
8 7 2 8 4Q J 9 4 9 7 6 3 |
||
|
|
[WBL Unit Game STAC, Open Pairs, 5-8-2014]