Overbidding and underplaying

In Chicago scoring and teams events, if you smell a game, you bid that game. The game bonus is a potent lure. But in a matchpointed pairs event, you shouldn’t push for thin games. Don’t jeopardize a plus score.

South overbid on this deal from a pairs event, and his card-play technique wasn’t equal to the task.

Over North’s raise to two hearts, that South hand is only worth a game-try. Perhaps two no-trump is the best bid. North will sign off in three hearts, and there the matter can rest. However, South saw 12 points and forced to game.

Four hearts needs the trumps to be 3-2, the spade finesse working and the club ace onside: just over a 16% chance. That is how the cards lay, but South still went down — why?

He won the second diamond, played a spade to his jack and continued with the spade ace and king, discarding dummy’s diamond loser. West ruffed in, but it was from three trumps.

West got off play with the diamond jack, ruffed low in the dummy. Declarer drew trumps ending in his hand and led a club to the king. Fine, as far as it went, but South had no hand entry left. He had to play a club from the board and lost two club tricks to go down one.

Did you spot the mistake? South must ruff the diamond jack with the heart six. Then he cashes the heart king and leads the heart seven to his ace. After the club king wins trick nine, declarer can return to hand for another club play by overtaking the heart two with his five.

Watch those important spotcards.