Played in a quick Individual tournament on BBO tonight.  I wish Individuals were more popular.  I think there should be an Individual at every tournament (including a NABC Individual once a year.  I mean, they have a nationally rated Fast Pairs after all.)  But surprisingly, nobody at ACBL Headquarters asked me.  I think they used to be more popular, but as systems became more complicated the potential for disaster of playing with a new partner every round increased and their popularity waned.

Here's the hand that cost me a 70% game (it was only 4 boards, so 70% would have barely cracked the top 10, but still ...)

Playing with some guy from India ('Advanced') you pick up in 2nd unfavorable:

T85 / A7643 / KJ6 / Q5

Righty opens 1 Diamond.

This is a tough call for me.  I think many folks would say 1 Heart is automatic and many other folks would say pass is automatic.  It's easy to construct hands where bidding works well and also where it doesn't.  To me, the 'tie-breaker' was the Diamond cards.  They look like they're working.  Also, I'd like to declare this hand if possible and keep my partner's hands off the cards.  I bid 1 Heart.

Lefty bid 2NT in tempo (maybe 2-3 seconds.)  Partner broke tempo (maybe 7-8 seconds, though technically he was entitled since there was a skip bid) and passed.  Righty bid 3NT.  Float.

Partner led the Jack of Hearts and this is what you see:

KQJ3 / Q / 9853 / A972 Dummy (RHO)

T85 / A7643 / KJ6 / Q5

How now brown cow?

I hate hands like this.  Ducking could be right (if declarer has KT98x and only 1 entry.)  Winning and returning a Heart could be right (if partner has JT8x or better.)  Winning and switching to either minor could be right.

I decided to swing for the fences and returned the King of Diamonds.  After all, Righty opened 1 Diamond, so Lefty could have nothing in the suit for his 2NT bid.  The problem with returning a low Diamond is if partner has a holding like QTxx, he'll win the first Diamond with the Ten, return a low Diamond to your King and Declarer's Ace, but your Diamond Jack will now block the suit (if partner overtakes, he sets up Dummy's 9.)

Declarer won the Ace of Diamonds and continued with a Spade to the Jack, which held, a Club to the King, and another Spade up, which partner won with the Ace.

Unfortunately, partner now continued with the Ten of Hearts from an original holding of JT2.  Sigh.  Do you think just MAYBE I would have continued Hearts myself at trick 2 if a holding that weak was strong enough to do the job?  Declarer soon claimed 10 tricks.  If he returns any other suit it's 9 tricks (he didn't have the Diamond holding I was hoping for either, which makes his failure to return a Diamond all the more puzzling.)  If only I'd passed 1 Diamond I wouldn't have created this mess in the first place.  Letting 3NT on 24 high make 4 was worth a surprisingly generous 18.75% of the matchpoints.

KQJ3 / Q / 9853 / A972

96 / K985 / AQ4 / K863

I'm not sure why he didn't duck the 2nd Spade either.