HCL Pairs Finals – a sorry tale of lost opportunities, poor decisions and more.. – morning session

For our next poor result, atleast it was opponents who played excellently to get a good board rather than us doing anything stupid. Here’s the hand

 Partner led ♠ Q and I won the Ace and returned a spade. Declarer ruffed it in dummy and played ♥ Q which I ducked. He continued ♥ J and I won the king to return a 3rd spade won by declarer with King. Now declarer can’t continue to draw trumps as I’d win the next heart and play a 4th round of spade to promote my 8. His only hope was a trump substitution, and so needed to abandon trumps and cash his minor suit winners without my being able to ruff. He knew I held ♥ four hearts and four spades. He had to guess which minor I held three cards in. He’d have to cash 2 winners in minor where I held a doubleton, 3 in the other minor and play the 4th winner card. If I ruffed, he’d overruff and play the last minor winner.  Even though I followed to 2nd club with the jack, he got the position right and cashed two diamonds and three clubs to play the 4th club from dummy and neutralize my trump holding. Very well played.