RR was late for the duplicate this week, getting new bifocals which he was not yet used to, and he complained a little that he was having some difficulty differentiating pips. There was an odd number of pairs, so RR was the NS Rover, and he and ChCh were playing their new system, which was an 18-20 1NT on boards 2-3, 6-7, 10-11 ... 26-27 30-31, except where there was an arrow switch, when it would revert to 12-17. As a result, it was very rare for RR (South) to open 1NT, but he had little choice on the above hand and ChCh felt that he needed to raise as RR making exactly eight tricks was unlikely.
SB, West, checked with ChCh that 1NT was correctly announced as 18-20 and went for the safe lead of a top spade. RR saw no point in ducking, and won and VV, East, played the jack. "Do you play normal count?" asked RR. "Yes,", replied SB, not volunteering any more information than was necessary. RR tested the hearts but the jack, ten, did not drop. He then played the ace, king of clubs and a club to the queen. After a couple of recounts, he thought that the long club was a winner, and said, "and the nine please." Before you could say "Jack Rabbit", ChCh had the nine of spades on the table. "No, I meant the nine of clubs," interjected RR. "I think that it is a winner". "There is no nine of clubs in dummy, so I think you will find that I correctly played the nine of spades," responded ChCh.
"DIRECTOOOOOOOOOOOR", called SB. OO arrived. "RR's incontrovertibly different intention was to play the six of clubs, even though he said, "and the nine","began SB.
"Well", replied OO. "The laws are quite clear, as SB knows:
3. If declarer designates a rank but not a suit:
(a) In leading, declarer is deemed to have continued the suit with which dummy won the preceding trick provided there is a card of the designated rank in that suit.
(b) In all other cases declarer must play a card from dummy of the designated rank if he can legally do so; but if there are two or more such cards that can be legally played declarer must designate which is intended."
"I don't think the word 'intention' can apply to RR", continued OO, "he tends to play his cards pretty much at random". He went on: "And I would need convincing that the six of clubs was incontrovertibly indicated by the phrase 'and the nine'." He ended: "I rule the nine of spades is a played card".
SB was endplayed to lead into the king of diamonds for declarer's ninth trick. "Very well played, RR", chortled ChCh, North, "A sextuple dentist coup with an anti-jettison element. You had to cash exactly three clubs and three hearts before exiting. I think I might reduce our NT range to 17-19 so you get to play more hands". The rabbit went bright red, unused to such flattery.
For once, SB was lost for words. Do you agree with OO's ruling?