Best laid plans.

At the end of the grueling match in the recent Canadian National Teams championship.

John Rayner, while enjoying a well deserved beverage, told me the best hand he ever played.

Board 18. Dealer East. N-S vul.

As West, he held : ♠ K107 ♥ 1096543 ♦ K ♣ Q42

This was the auction. 

Yes, it is a lead problem. What would you lead?

John led the ♣2. He listen to the auction. he knew his LHO had spades and his RHO had hearts.

This was the deal.

Roy Hughes looked at the ♣2, thought for a long time, then took his eight tricks for down one. -100.

At the other table the contract was also 3NT. However this time it was played by North. East, the long club hand was on lead and led a 4th best club. Declarer tried to make his contract, as a result down three for -300.

Despite John’s best effort, his team lost 5 imps on this board!

However, virtue has it’s own reward. If John led any card other then a club, the other team would have been Canadian Champions.