[PhilKing]

Good suit - check
Good shape - check
Good spade holding - check
Decent values - check
Space consuming - check

Oh wait ...

Seriously, 2♣ is absolutely revolting, and I would not do it even at favourable.

[lowerline]

m1cha, on 2015-February-11, 21:35, said:

Well then, here's the full board:

---

West lead ♠A and ♠Q, then ♦9. Unfortunately I misplayed the hand going down 2 for a shared bottom score. Going down just 1 undoubled would have been pretty good at MPs because 2♠ and 2♥ make, scoring 110 for EW, though better opponents might have got us doubled anyway. 2♦ is also down 1.

Thanks again to all who participated. I learnt much today.

Two things I don't understand about this hand:

• Why didn't East double?
• How can you escape for only 1 down?

S.

[m1cha]

lowerline, on 2015-February-12, 09:30, said:

Two things I don't understand about this hand:

• Why didn't East double?
• How can you escape for only 1 down?

S.

1. No idea. East should have.

2. As it went, West took two ♠ tricks and played ♦9. S can win 4 quick tricks and ♣KQ. So the question is: Where is trick seven?

So let S take the quick tricks ending in dummy, from there play ♦J. East must take the Q, S discards the small ♥. Now let's assume E cashes the ♣A and ♠ K on which W discards the last ♥ card. (If not, things will yet end up the same way.)

If E now plays another ♠, the ♣10 will make a trick, mission accomplished. Alternatively (whatever E plays), S takes the trick with the ♣K and plays another small ♣ which W must take with the J - being endplayed.

This line works because the cards are where they are. I'm not saying this is how the hand should be played not knowing the cards. However much is clear: After the bidding and West playing ♠AQ, West has certainly no ♠ cards left, a long ♣ suit but no high honor, so the ♣A is with W. Well, alternatively E might have the long ♣ suit which would explain why E didn't double.