A Lesson in Scoring
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|  K Q 5 2 |
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 9 5 |
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 K Q 7 3 |
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 Q 10 2 |
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| 10 7 4 |
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A 8 6 |
| 8 7 4 |
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A Q 10 6 |
| 10 9 5 2 |
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8 6 4 |
| J 9 3 |
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7 5 4 |
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J 9 3 |
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K J 3 2 |
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A J |
| Contract: 3 no |
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A K 8 6 |
| Opening lead: varied |
How would you like to be in the right denomination at the right level and indeed pick up an overtrick and get a matchpoint score of 7%! ! ! ? That was the fate that befell a few declarers on this hand. Slam in impossible, missing two aces, nor does the opening lead matter, since you'll have to attack spades sooner or later. And game would be virtually impossible to miss. So . . . it's all a matter of how many overtricks you get, one not being enough to shout about.
Those with three overtricks, meaning East didn't cash out his two aces, got a score in the 70's. (When I went back to get the exact score, the board had been deleted.) Those with two got a 30%, while those with one got 7, as mentioned. Of course, declarers can't do anything about losing two tricks if East has a mind to cash out his aces. But not all declarers with only two overtricks were totally helpless. Here's one who took the opening diamond lead with the ace, knocked out the A of spades and let a low heart return ride to the 9! You might note that declarer needs not only that East not cash his two aces, but that he let one heart lead go, and declarer had it.
He now could cash four diamonds, four clubs, three spades and a heart. He didn't know spades were splitting 3-3, nor that clubs were doing so also. But he didn't know otherwise either, and would have done very well for himself by testing these potentials. Rather, he unblocked the diamonds, went to the Q of clubs, cashed two more diamonds, sluffing a heart and a club. A heart and a club! Now he can't make 3 overtricks, of course. But what was he saving his hearts for? In any event, this declarer tossed forty points out the window.
The only other declarer I want to look at is one who picked up only one overtrick. Opening lead a diamond to the J, a spade to the K and back to the J, East ducking both leads. Now do you see declarer's predicament? The A and 10 are both out, and declarer fears to lead into the (literal) tenace for two quick losers. So now he cashes his A of diamonds, goes to the Q of clubs and cashes two more diamonds, sluffing a spade and a heart. Now he has no entries to the long spades. Can he still pull something out of the fire?
Yes, of course. He has to take the heart hook (or pop up with the K), either of which plays works, of course. That would give him the equivalent of those who pick up three spades and no heart winners. But declarer wasn't up to taking that chance (though there's little danger, since the defense could run only two hearts and one spade). This declarer dug his own grave, however, by running his clubs and then leading away from the heart honors, losing two hearts and a spade at the end.
Seven percent for declining to take either of two chances (continue spades which would have been safe if there is either a 3-3 split, or West has the A 10), or leading toward the K J of hearts and guessing, neither of which would have queered his contract if nothing was sitting right.
So I think there are two lessons here. One is that when overtricks are there for the plucking, you'd better do some plucking. The penalty for not doing so is directly proportionate to the ease with which you could pick 'em up. When an overtrick involves some esoteric squeeze and a bit of a risk, well, naturally you're not going to be beaten by a lot of guys doing just that. But when you simply need cash out top winners and do not do so (after knocking out the A of spades), then you pay a stiff price, as a few did here.
The other lesson is that declarers who get uptight about losing a few tricks here and there in exploring the potential in the cards dealt, that is the declarers who seem strongly averse to taking a risk, are the ones courting the greatest risk that they won't get the full potential out of their cards. And that's what duplicate's all about, not making games or slams, exactly, but getting the most out of your cards, the same cards those other guys are getting -- and perhaps mining for greater rewards.