Example #24 - Final showdown

3NT can be set on a H lead by South, but the remarkably convenient 1D opening puts an end to that.
Where East found a 3NT bid over 3D is anyone's guess, but like we stated before: missing cold games is bad practice.

Dealer E Vul All Scoring MP Lead ♣5	♠ QJ64 ♥ AT982 ♦ 93 ♣ 42
♠ AK32 ♥ Q53 ♦ K8764 ♣ J		♠ T9 ♥ K4 ♦ AJ52 ♣ KQ987
	♠ 875 ♥ J76 ♦ QT ♣ AT653

West	North	East	South
		1♦	p
1♠	p	1NT	p
3♦	p	3NT	p
p	p

You play CJ from dummy, North contributes the C5, you overtake with the CK and fire back C8 (!!) to the C3, S2, and C2.

You have 10 tricks for sure, but you might make 11 if you play carefully and opponents don't know the layout like you do.
When you cash 5 D tricks North holds on to S QJx and H AT9, while South has discarded a small S. Now you play a small H from dummy to your HK, cash S AK and play another S to North who is forced to let HQ make the last trick.

Of course, this was exactly the way Aruf played - but in the process something very revealing happened.
After winning C8, declarer continued with DJ!!!

Have a good look at the situation: there is no layout where the DJ play can gain, but there are plenty layouts where it simply costs.
The only possible conclusion is that declarer knew the layout and was showboating - he is literally shouting from the rooftops that he is using unauthorised information.

Example #24 - Second chance

Boards presented here are not about 'normal' bridge. If that were the case there would be no need for this blog in the first place.
So, we feel it's fair to give you a second chance - but this time based on the same information we're convinced Aruf based his action upon when this board was played. For a more realistic approach you might contemplate acquiring a second computer, placing the monitor next to the one you're using right now, and studying the hand record presented below on the new monitor.

You're sitting East, playing with a pick-up partner in a 12-board ACBL-sanctioned tournament on Bridge Base Online.
Bidding is based on standard 5-c major systems like sayc or 2/1, unless stated otherwise.

Dealer E Vul All Scoring MP Lead ♣5	♠ QJ64 ♥ AT982 ♦ 93 ♣ 42
♠ AK32 ♥ Q53 ♦ K8764 ♣ J		♠ T9 ♥ K4 ♦ AJ52 ♣ KQ987
	♠ 875 ♥ J76 ♦ QT ♣ AT653

West	North	East	South
		1♦	p
1♠	p	1NT	p
3♦	p	3NT	p
p	p

You play CJ from dummy, North contributes the C5, you overtake with the CK and fire back C8 (!!) to the C3, S2, and C2.
Plan the play.

Once you've made up your mind you can compare your solution with Aruf's action, presented in the final post about this board.

Example #24 - Quiz

You're sitting East, playing with a pick-up partner in a 12-board ACBL-sanctioned tournament on Bridge Base Online.
Bidding is based on standard 5-c major systems like sayc or 2/1, unless stated otherwise.

Dealer E Vul All Scoring MP Lead ♣5	♠ ♥ ♦ ♣
♠ AK32 ♥ Q53 ♦ K8764 ♣ J		♠ T9 ♥ K4 ♦ AJ52 ♣ KQ987
	♠ ♥ ♦ ♣

West	North	East	South
		1♦	p
1♠	p	1NT	p
3♦	p	3NT	p
p	p

You play CJ from dummy, North contributes the C5, you overtake with the CK and fire back C8 (!!) to the C3, S2, and C2.
Plan the play.

To achieve maximum appreciation of the Aruf genius we suggest you decide on your action before looking at the full hand record, presented in the next post about this board.

Example #23 - Final showdown

Missing cold games is bad practice ...

Dealer E Vul N/S Scoring MP Lead ♥9	♠ J87 ♥ 62 ♦ QT96 ♣ AQT2
♠ K52 ♥ T ♦ A7543 ♣ 9765		♠ AQ3 ♥ 98754 ♦ 8 ♣ J843
	♠ T964 ♥ AKQJ3 ♦ KJ2 ♣ K

West	North	East	South
		p	1♥
p	1NT	p	2♦
p	3NT	p	p
p

East got confused while defending - not so strange when the bidding has nothing to do with bridge as we used to know it - and declarer ended up with 11 tricks for all the marbles.

Example #23 - Second chance

Boards presented here are not about 'normal' bridge. If that were the case there would be no need for this blog in the first place.
So, we feel it's fair to give you a second chance - but this time based on the same information we're convinced Aruf based his action upon when this board was played. For a more realistic approach you might contemplate acquiring a second computer, placing the monitor next to the one you're using right now, and studying the hand record presented below on the new monitor.

You're sitting North, playing with a pick-up partner in a 12-board ACBL-sanctioned tournament on Bridge Base Online.
Bidding is based on standard 5-c major systems like sayc or 2/1, unless stated otherwise.

Dealer E Vul N/S Scoring MP Lead	♠ J87 ♥ 62 ♦ QT96 ♣ AQT2
♠ K52 ♥ T ♦ A7543 ♣ 9765		♠ AQ3 ♥ 98754 ♦ 8 ♣ J843
	♠ T964 ♥ AKQJ3 ♦ KJ2 ♣ K

West	North	East	South
		p	1♥
p	1NT	p	2♦
p	?

Once you've made up your mind you can compare your solution with Aruf's action, presented in the final post about this board.

Example #23 - Quiz

You're sitting North, playing with a pick-up partner in a 12-board ACBL-sanctioned tournament on Bridge Base Online.
Bidding is based on standard 5-c major systems like sayc or 2/1, unless stated otherwise.

Dealer E Vul N/S Scoring MP Lead	♠ J87 ♥ 62 ♦ QT96 ♣ AQT2
♠ ♥ ♦ ♣		♠ ♥ ♦ ♣
	♠ ♥ ♦ ♣

West	North	East	South
		p	1♥
p	1NT	p	2♦
p	?

To achieve maximum appreciation of the Aruf genius we suggest you decide on your action before looking at the full hand record, presented in the next post about this board.

Example #22 - Final showdown

A familiar theme ... you can see South has an obvious D lead, so:

Dealer S Vul All Scoring Imp Lead ♦8	♠ 976542 ♥ 9 ♦ 43 ♣ Q653
♠ KJ8 ♥ AQJ743 ♦ A2 ♣ T2		♠ QT ♥ K62 ♦ Q975 ♣ AJ94
	♠ A3 ♥ T85 ♦ KJT86 ♣ K87

West	North	East	South
			p
1♥	p	3NT	p
p	p

Declarer now has 11 tricks, but Aruf thought he could go for a 12th by taking the double C finesse.
His arithmetic turned out to be faulty and he ended up with only 10 tricks. No big loss in IMPs, especially since most declarers playing in H were held to 10 tricks as well.