1st February 2017
Dealer East
 S
 A843
    
Game All
 H
 -
    
    D A10874
    
    C J1073
    
S
 J1097
     S
 6
H
 Q109762
     H
 853
D
 6
     D
 QJ92
C
 85
     C
 AQ962
    S
 KQ52
    
    H
 AKJ4
    
    D
 K53
    
    C
 K4
    


This deal is from the final of the Manchester Congress Teams.

It is fairly rare to come across strong club systems these days, unlike in the seventies and eighties when they were all the rage.  The received wisdom for defending against them is to intervene as much as possible, which is what Rodney Lighton did on this hand in the recent Congress Teams final.
South
 West
 North
 East



Pass
1C(1) 2H Double(2) 3C
3NT
 Pass
 Pass Pass
(1) Strong
(2) Values

Rodney pre-empted two hearts over the one club opener, North doubled to show values and John Currie bid three clubs rather than three hearts because he wanted a club lead.  South bid three notrump and the spade fit had been missed because of the bidding space removed before suits could be shown.  Four spades made in the other room on careful play, and three notrump is cold on a heart lead, which Rodney would surely have led after heart support from partner.  East won the ace of clubs and returned a heart.  Declarer won and played the diamond king and a small diamond ducking to the nine of diamonds.  A heart was returned, and declarer won and cashed three rounds of spades, getting more bad news.  This left the following position:



 S
 8
    

H
 -
    
    D A108
    
    C J
    
S
 J
     S
H
 Q109     H
 3
D
    D
 QJ
C
 5
     C
 Q9
    S
 2
    
    H
 J4
    
    D
 5
    
    C
 K
    



At this point declarer tried to endplay Rodney by exiting with a spade, but Rodney correctly didn't cash the heart queen which would give declarer her contract, but instead played a club to defeat the contract.  Declarer almost got this one right - if she had cashed king of clubs before exiting with the spade then Rodney would have been genuinely endplayed.



Thanks to John Currie for reporting this deal.