A King In Waiting
Second-half of the "money round" of a Regional Knockout event, we were "up" by 7 IMP-s after 12 boards against opponents unknown. My lady partner classified them as the Jap and the Innocent. Jap not based on national characteristics (looks and speaks like a NewEnglander) but on tactics, that would put a true Kamikaze Pilot to shame ... inflicting random pains on his innocent partner, but unfortunately (from our point of view) "lucking out" more, than by rights he should.
Reached the tenth board (it feels, that we have neither added much to, nor lost our lead); we are white-against-red, picking up
S: K,4,3 | H: 7,4 | D: 7,6,3 | C: A,K,J,10,8
|
She |
Inn |
Me |
Jap |
|
|
=== |
=== |
=== |
=== |
|
|
2 |
pass |
pass |
Dbl |
|
|
pass |
3 |
pass |
3 |
3 
alerted as Reverse |
pass |
3 NT |
pass |
pass |
Lebens'l, i.e.: good hand |
pass |
Playing with anybody but her I must lead a Spade ... any male (!) partner, my action be right-or-wrong, will name me the "best opponent-friendly defender" and pout / smolder through the rest of the match, losing all in his anger. She, on the other hand, trusts me and therefore, in turn, I can trust my judgment: Ace of Clubs (A for attitude, K for Kount in our Book, truly great help here). Dummy displays
S: 6 | H: K,10,8 | D: A,K,Q,J,8 | C: Q,9,7,4
Given what I see, partner's 3-of-Clubs is meaningless. The next play or the one after that, however, is not. Continuing with the Jack-of-Clubs is easy (partner plays a small spade denying interest there), but INN shocks me by matching my underlead with an "innocent" duck. That bird is the giveaway of Declarer's plan. Continuing with anything but a Club is inane, but cashing the King now is suicide (or rather sistry-cide), while the 10-of-Clubs the coup-de-grace. Inspect the battlefield …
| S: 6 | ||
| H: K,10,8 | ||
| D: A,K,Q,J,8 | ||
| C: Q,9,7,4 | ||
| S: K,4,3 | * * * * * | S: J,9,8,7,5,2 |
| H: 7,4 | * * | H: A,J,9,5 |
| D: 7,6,3 | * * | D: 5,4 |
| C: A,K,J,10,8 | * * * * * | C: 3 |
| S: A,Q,10 | ||
| H: Q,6,3,2 | ||
| D: 10,9,2 | ||
| C: 6,5,2 |
4 Would I play all of four rounds of Clubs (to set up my 5th), Dummy winning this 4th, the same Dummy will cruelly follow with five rounds of Diamonds, reaching a 4-card ending...
| S: 6 | ||
| H: K,10,8 | ||
| D: - | ||
| C: - | ||
| S: K,4 | * * * * * | S: J |
| H: 7 | * * | H: A,J,9 |
| D: - | * * | D: - |
| C: 8 | * * * * * | C: - |
| S: A | ||
| H: Q,6,3 | ||
| D: - | ||
| C: - |
INN (he is a very good dummy handler, playing with the Jap he has to be) will know where the K-of-Spades is (in your hand, due to never a spade lead) and therefore the Ace-of-Hearts' location (... in her hand! A true Lady does not open a Weak Two with 1 or 2 points). He will cash the Ace-of-Spades (had my Lady kept two Spades, Hearts would run; she discarded 5 Spades correctly, but INN counted them). Next INN will lead to Dummy's King-of-Hearts for an inplay if she takes it (he cares not, where the Heart Jack was, because two of my last 3 cards are known-to-all to be black), or for nine tricks (Heart to the Queen at trick 12) if she ducks.
5 Had one played but three rounds of Clubs, Dummy having to win the 3rd (otherwise you "run" the suit), Dummy's subsequent five rounds of Diamonds produces a much friendlier (to us) 5-card ending...
| S: 6 | ||
| H: K,10,8 | ||
| D: - | ||
| C: 9 | ||
| S: K,4 | * * * * * | S: J,9 |
| H: 7,4 | * * | H: A,J,9 |
| D: - | * * | D: - |
| C: K,8 | * * * * * | C: - |
| S: A, Q | ||
| H: Q,6,3 | ||
| D: - | ||
| C: - |
INN can not inplay anybody (try it: would you succeed, I'll persuade the WebMaster to place your name and picture on a full page of this WebSite; my E-Mail address is Apprentice@Unit102.com), the hand is not "tight" enough. I can get out with a Heart, she with a Spade; thus INN's sole option is a Heart to the Queen in hand, and a finesse with the 10 of Hearts ... She will win the Jack and lead a Spade through the Ace-Queen for down one.
Proverb-for-the-Day:
A
King In Waiting surpasses the King Impatient
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