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Wednesday Post Mortem 18th July, 2012
Analysis by Brian Gunnell Click here for thewednesdaygame@yahoo.com Hand Records
West North East South Pass Pass 1♠ Dbl 2♠ Pass Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass
West is too strong to overcall 2♦, so he doubles, and is faced with these choices when the bidding comes back to him: - Double? It was OK to make one off-shape Double, but there’s no need to make a second one, that would show genuine support for the unbid suits. - 3NT? A bit much, Partner will likely need something in Spades and Diamonds if 3NT is to be successful, on top of which 3NT is just a plain overbid. - 3♦? This would show a hand that was too good to overcall 2♦ originally. - 2NT? A direct 1NT overcall over 1♠ would have shown 15-18 HCP’s or thereabouts, so doubling first and then bidding No Trump shows around 19-20.
If West chooses 3♦ he'll probably play it there and score 10 tricks. But, more likely, we think, he will choose 2NT and may well get raised to game. 3NT makes on a Heart lead, but North will surely lead a top-of-nothing Spade, to South's Queen and Declarer's Ace. Next the A♦ is knocked out, and South is put to the test. She must now lead a low Spade, of course, to beat the contract.
West North East South Pass Pass 1♠ Dbl 3♠ Pass Pass Dbl Pass 4♦ Pass 4♥ All Pass
- West makes a light third-seat opening - As on the previous board we have a hand (this time North’s) which is too strong to overcall and which must double first. - When 3♠ gets back to North, she might bid 4♥ (not perfect on a 5-card suit) or double again (also not perfect, holding five Hearts!).
4♥ makes an easy 11 tricks, the defense scoring just their two Aces.
Should West have considered taking a sacrifice in 4♠? It’s tempting in light of the vulnerability. On the actual hand, the sacrifice is a success if Declarer plays the Spades right, which he should … he’ll play the K♠ first (expecting any Spade shortness to be with North), and when the Jack appears, he’ll finesse on the second round as indicated by the Principle of Restricted Choice.
West North East South 1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 5♣ Pass 5♠ Pass 6♥ All Pass
N-S perpetrate an Exclusion Key Card auction, that 5♣ bid was asking for Partner’s Key Cards, but also asking that the A♣ be excluded from the response. Then 5♠ said “I have two Key Cards (excluding Clubs) and no Q♥” Exclusion Key Card is a dangerous weapon to use here, and, though it might seem obvious that 5♣ cannot be natural in this auction, partners have been known to see things differently. When North denied the Q♥, South could hardly bid 7♥, and was also poorly placed to decide whether the better-scoring 6NT might not be a better-scoring alternative.
As it happens, 6NT is indeed preferable, both contracts making 13 tricks when the Hearts behave. We don’t especially fault South’s precipitous Exclusion bid, it was certainly the practical route to finding the Heart grand slam (if there was one). But it was not the best way to get to 6NT instead of 6♥. Perhaps with all those Diamond tricks South could have gambled 6NT anyway.
West North East South 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ All Pass
Against 2♠, South leads the A♦, and, seeking to prevent the Diamond ruff in Dummy, might mistakenly shift to the T♠. Not good! Declarer wins that, takes the Heart finesse, cashes the A♥ (pitching a Club), ruffs a Heart (felling South’s King), plays K♠ and out a Spade, and now has 9 tricks (4 trumps, 4 Hearts, and a Club).
The defense does better to shift to a Club at Trick 2, knocking out Dummy’s entry and preventing the run of the Hearts. Here’s how the defense might go: A♦ is cashed Club shift, ducked by Dummy, won by North Club continuation, won by Dummy’s Ace Diamond won by North’s Queen Clubs are continued, ruffed by Declarer Heart finesse A♥ is cashed (Declarer pitching a Diamond) Heart ruff With 5 tricks in the bag, one route to making 2♠ would be to lead a Diamond, hoping that the Q♠ is with South so that North cannot overruff the Jack. That’s a 50% chance, but why not take the 100% play? The play in the side-suits has been most revealing and all the indication are that trumps are 3-3 and that the remaining position is: North ♠ ??? ♥ 7 ♣ Q Dummy Declarer ♠ J6 ♠ AK7 ♥ JT ♥ ♦ ♦ J9 ♣ 6 ♣ East ♠ ??? ♦ KT So, all that Declarer has to do now is to cash AK♠ and exit a Spade. Whichever defender happens to have the Q♠ will be forced to concede a trick in the end-game. Making 8 tricks.
West North East South 1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♠ Dbl Pass 4♥ All Pass
Both E-W players have borderline hands, and it’s easy to see how they might get to either part-score or game in either Hearts or No Trump.
Playing in 4♥, West may have gulped at the sight of Dummy, no doubt secretly praying for down only one or two. North leads the K♠, and Declarer ducks this trick, it’s his best chance at retaining control. Let’s say that North shifts to a trump and the Jack mercifully wins that trick. Now A♥ and K♥ and when the suit breaks there is a glimmer of hope for Declarer. Next comes a Club to the Ace, South playing the King! Suddenly, West’s terrible 4♥contract is making an overtrick! Not bad and, on a double dummy basis, West could have done even better by winning the opening Spade lead (risky play if the Hearts don’t behave)
If West ends up declaring a No Trump contract, that same most fortunate lie of the cards will result in 11 tricks.
West North East South Pass Pass Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT Pass 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT All Pass
Let’s say that East leads the Spade Two. What next? It seems likely that this is a 4th best lead, in which case Declarer might as well win the Q♠ immediately and run the Q♦. East wins (it doesn’t help to make a smooth duck) and perseveres with Spades, then Declarer leads towards the Q♥. When the K♥ is onside and the Clubs are 3-3, Declarer has 11 tricks.
System Note North’s 2NT rebid will be too strong for those that play a 22-23 range in this situation. The standard solution in that case would be to rebid 3NT, which is not very satisfactory, as it makes it difficult for N-S to find a major fit. There is a better method for these very strong balanced hands, it’s called Kokish, please follow the link. Not recommended for the casual partnership, though.
West North East South Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 3NT All Pass
Against 3NT, North leads a Diamond. The normal lead from that holding is the Ten, whereupon Declarer closes his eyes and plays the King. When that holds he is home free and it’s just a matter of overtricks. Declarer cashes two Clubs, then, when that suit is 3-2, he cashes Dummy’s ♥AKQ, crosses to hand with a Club, cashes the 13th Heart, and returns to Dummy with the last Club. Declarer has taken the first 9 tricks, and will now try the Spade finesse. That works and it’s 11 tricks.
West North East South Pass Pass 1♠ 2♠ 3♥ Dbl 4♠ All Pass
How
do you like that 2♠
Michaels call by South? Many would call it
After South’s Michaels
Partner leads the Heart Three (3rd and 5th), Dummy plays low and North’s King wins, Declarer playing the Seven. At this point, North knows: - South has the J♥ or Q♥ (but not both), and that the suit can provide Declarer with a pitch. - South is probably 5-5, with an unknown 5-card minor. - Therefore, Declarer is probably 6=2=4=1 or 6=2=1=4. Which is it? It seems that for East to have his 4♠ bid, he may need some values in his 4-card suit, so that tilts things in favor of Declarer having Clubs. That being so, if Declarer has a singleton loser to pitch away on the Hearts, then it will be a Diamond. Complicated logic, but that and South’s, er, helpful Michaels bid, lead to the winning defense and down one.
West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 3♣ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♥ Pass 4NT Pass 5♥ Pass 5♠ All Pass
It’s easy to see N-S getting dangerously high on this board, eventually coming to rest in 5♠ when it transpires that one Key Card and the Q♠ are missing. However, it’s a friendly hand and the poor slam makes when the KQ♠ are in front of Declarer’s AJ.
Fiendish Lead Department The N-S auction was quite informative, placing North with the A♥ and South (or West) with the A♦. In that case, there’s not much point in East leading his singleton Heart and hoping for a ruff. So, why not try the truly fiendish 9♦ or J♦? Surely Declarer will play Dummy’s Ace, then cash some Hearts hoping for a fast Diamond pitch before playing on trumps. East ruffs the second Heart, cashes the K♦, and a contract which seemed destined to make 12 tricks now makes only 10. Down one!
West North East South Pass 1♦ 1♥ Pass 1♠ 2♦ 2♠ All Pass
- Many Easts will be tempted to open, and who can blame them? - After West’s 1♥ overcall, North, being something of a dreamer, passes and eagerly awaits a reopening Double and a hefty penalty. - Having passed originally, in the vain hope of a penalty, North might feel guilty about never taking a call with those values opposite an opening bid. Perhaps a more practical approach to the North hand is to overcall 1NT initially, then at least Partner will now know she has something.
2♠ is as high as E-W want to be. South has an obvious Club lead and now the defense gets 5 tricks. As for N-S, their best spot is actually Hearts, where they can make 8 or 9 tricks.
West North East South Pass 1♣ 1♦ 1♠ Pass 1NT 2♦ 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass
Against 4♠, South leads the Diamond Five, Dummy plays low and Declarer plays the Queen under North’s Ace. The missing Diamond card is the Three, and, as Declarer could be false-carding with the Queen, South’s lead could be a singleton or a doubleton. How should North continue the defense?
In this situation, where the partner of the opening leader is not sure whether a singleton has been led, it’s always useful to have a cashing Ace up one’s sleeve. So, North cashes the ♥A, expecting South to discourage Hearts if she wants a Diamond ruff, and if she does not want a ruff she encourages Hearts (even though she clearly is not in need of a Heart continuation).
So, not wanting a ruff, South discourages Hearts, and North shifts to a Club, ultimately scoring the setting trick with a Club ruff. Nice defense!
West North East South Pass 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass
In that 2/1 auction, 2NT was forcing.
West leads a low Spade against 3NT. Declarer can be sure of 10 tricks just by playing on Diamonds, and she has a reasonable shot at 11 tricks if East holds the A♦. The Spade lead is won in Dummy, and a Diamond played. If East holds the A♦ he must duck and let Declarer’s King win. Now back to Dummy with a Heart, and the 9♣ is led from the board. If East has one or both of the missing Club honors 11 tricks will roll in (if the Club honors are split then Declarer will also need 4-2 or 3-3 Hearts). Anyway, all that becomes hypothetical when West shows up with the A♦ and 10 tricks is the limit.
West North East South Pass Pass 1♥ Pass Pass 2♦ 2♥ All Pass - In recent Post Mortem games, we’ve had a few sightings of The Four-Card Overcall. Is the West hand another such case? It’s tempting, but the suit is not particularly good, maybe not worth indulging. - East doesn’t have much of a hand but was reluctant to let the opponents play at the one-level. Instead of bidding 2♦, he might have doubled, we’d say that it was a close choice.
Against 2♥, if West leads a Diamond, Declarer has an easy route to 9 tricks. The lead has allowed her to pick up both minor suits and she ends up losing just 3 Hearts and a Spade.
However, West may happily hit upon a Spade opening lead, reasoning that he doesn’t need any Diamond ruffs (they would only be at the expense of natural trump tricks), and that if East has a Spade honor it might be possible to get a forcing defense going. In that case here’s a fascinating line of play: Spade lead won by Declarer’s Ace Spade won by West’s Jack Spade ruffed by Declarer Low trump won by West’s Jack Spade ruffed by Declarer Heart Ten (!!) won by West Now West is end-played! He cannot lead a trump without sacrificing a trick, and a minor suit lead will allow Declarer to pick up both minors.
West North East South Pass 1♦ 2♦ 2♠ 3♠ 4♦ Pass 5♦ All Pass
West’s 2♦ friskily showed the majors, North’s 2♠ was (by partnership agreement) a good Diamond raise, after which N-S marched inexorably to the doomed 5♦ contract.
West leads a low Spade to East’s Ace, and Declarer does the best she can by playing the Queen, trying hard to look like someone who also has the King. East might, in a moment of temporary insanity, be fooled into wondering if a Heart shift is required, setting up a trick for West’s presumed King before the Clubs can be established. That would be poor thinking. What’s the clue? Well, if South really had KQ doubleton of Spades, then West’s lead of a low card would be from 98532. Surely, if that were West’s holding, and if he felt that a Spade lead were required, then, considering that the suit has been bid and raised, he would lead the Nine. So, recovering his wits in the nick of time, East continues Spades and it’s down one.
West North East South 3♦ All Pass
South’s beefy 3♦ preempt keeps the opponents quiet and it’s 9 easy tricks.
If South is over-concerned with the vulnerability, and makes a feeble opening Pass, West may well open 1♣ (many wouldn’t), after which one shudders to think how high East might compete. Surely to at least 4♣, which will be down two. It’s unlikely to be doubled but that’s still -200 and a bad board for E-W.
West North East South Pass 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass
An unlucky hand for N-S. Against 3NT, East leads a Diamond to West’s Ace and the suit is returned. Now the normal play in Clubs is to finesse against the King but that loses and the defense has 6 tricks. A 5♣ contract fares only slightly better, again the singleton K♣ will score a trick and the defense gets 3 tricks for down only one.
West North East South 1♦ 1♥ Pass 2♦ 3♦ 3♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass
On lead against 4♥, South will start out with a Diamond, and surely the correct lead is the King, giving South a look at Dummy, and retaining the lead in case there is a deadly shift to be made from the South hand at Trick 2. With a Diamond singleton in Dummy, the more or less standard agreement is for North to give suit preference on the first trick. Accordingly, North plays the Q♦, a card which surely says “I have the K♠”. That may induce South to shift to a Spade, but careful play still brings in 11 tricks for Declarer: K♦ opening lead Spade shift, won by Dummy’s Ace Three rounds of Clubs, pitching a Spade Q♠ led from the board Of course, Declarer is planning a ruffing finesse in Spades if North declines to play the King.
Perhaps North telegraphed Declarer the right line of play with that violent signal on Trick 1, but even without that help Declarer should place the K♠ with North from the bidding, and find the same line of play.
West North East South 1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass 5♥ Pass 5♠ Pass 6♠ All Pass
Would you open the East hand 2♣? In terms of playing strength it qualifies, there are only three losers. But opening 2♣ and then rebidding 3♣ often leads to a crowded auction, the bidding could easily reach 3NT without that 5-card Spade suit being mentioned. So, when the longest suit is a minor, opening one of that minor usually works better than opening 2♣. Consider these auctions: 1♣ 1♥ 2♣ 2♦ 2♠ 3♣ Both auctions are game-forcing, but the first one has got three suits into the auction, and on the next round Opener will bid 3♠ showing 5-6 in the black suits. In the second auction the bidding is already at the three-level, only one suit has been bid naturally, and Opener has no practical way to show a 5-card Spade suit.
Is there a risk that, if East opens 1♣, he might play it there? A tiny risk, we’d say. Considering East’s extreme distribution and relatively modest point count, the chances are that someone around the table will find something to say.
Occasions for using Exclusion Key Card Blackwood are few and far between, but here we have our second of the set (see also Board 3). If West held the K♠, then East was prepared to commit to the grand slam regardless of whether West also held the A♥, figuring that any Diamond losers would go on the long Clubs. As it happened, the K♠ was missing, and the final result was 6♠ making 7 when the K♠ was onside.
System Note Exclusion Key Card is a somewhat accident-prone convention and just to make it even more perilous, some partnerships play 1430 opposite regular Roman Key Card, but revert to 3014 opposite Exclusion Key Card. This is no doubt theoretically superior, but it’s also prone to confusion, a fact to which your editors can attest from personal experience.
West North East South 1♣ 1♥ 1♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass
West could have bid 2NT to show Hearts and Diamonds, but he had some defense, and didn’t like the vulnerability, so he reasonably overcalled 1♥.
Against 4♠, East’s opening lead is a Diamond, won by West’s Ace. The Diamond return is ruffed, back comes a Heart to West’s Ace, then a second Diamond ruff, and that is down one.
Carding Note Yes, when West returned the Diamond to be ruffed, he returned the Ten, a clear suit preference signal for the higher-ranking of the two remaining side-suits (Clubs and Hearts). Isn’t it obvious that West wants a Heart? No, if West carelessly returns a low Diamond which happens to be close to his left thumb, won’t East be entitled to think that West wants a Club ruff?
West North East South 1♦ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 2NT Pass 3♣ Pass 3♠ Pass 6♦ All Pass
- East’s 2♦ was an Inverted Raise, showing 4+ Diamonds, no 4-card major, and at least invitational values. - West’s 2♥ showed something in Hearts and some extras and enough for game in this partnership’s methods (not everyone plays this way). - 2NT was natural without extras, then after a couple of cue-bids before West took a shot at 6♦.
6♦ always makes 12 tricks and a canny Declarer might eke out 13 by giving South the maximum amount of guesswork. North leads a Spade and this is how Declarer puts South to the test: Spade won by Declarer’s Ace A♦ then a Diamond to Dummy’s Queen Spade ruff K♦ is cashed and then a Diamond to Dummy’s Jack The last Diamond is cashed The K♠ is cashed The K♠ is the 8th trick and South must come down to 5 cards. She needs to hold on to 4 Clubs and bare the K♥. Will it be obvious? It should be. If Declarer has the Q♥ he would have already finessed the Heart for the 13th trick and if North has the Q♥ then the K♥ can safely be pitched. It sounds easy enough, but some defenders will carelessly pitch a Club anyway.
West North East South Pass Pass Pass 1♣ Pass 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass
This is an auction which usually calls for a major suit lead. Then again, South's Diamond suit is longer and stronger. - If South leads the 9♥, the defense gets its 4 tricks before Declarer can set up more than 9. - If South leads a Diamond (Queen or low), Declarer has the timing for more. Now, when South is in with her Club trick she must shift to a Heart just to hold Declarer to 10 tricks. If South fails to do this, it will be 11 tricks and a terrible board for N-S.
West North East South 2♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass
As vulnerable 2♥ bids go, that one might be considered to be living on the edge. But at least the suit is half-decent. West had no reason to dilly-dally, he bids 4♥ directly, giving the opening leader a minimum of information.
Against 4♥ South leads the Q♦, and Dummy takes his Ace (Declarer hopes the suit will be blocked). Now what? It won’t be possible for Declarer to establish the Spades and enjoy them, there just aren’t enough entries back and forth. So, to make this contract, it will be necessary to get a Club ruff on the board and also to guess the Spade situation. Given that awkward entry situation, the obvious and straightforward line is to cash the A♣ at Trick 2, finesse the T♥, ruff a Club with the A♥, and eventually get back to hand with a Diamond ruff in order to draw trumps and guess the Spade suit.
West North East South Pass 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 2♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass
Playing a 2/1 system, East did not consider his hand quite worth a game-forcing 2♣ bid, so he contented himself with a bid of 1♥. However, when the Heart fit was uncovered his hand got a lot better and he was happy jumping to game.
Against 4♥, South leads a Spade won by Dummy’s Ace. Now a low Heart to the Queen and Ace. South continues Spades which Declarer ruffs, trumps are drawn and the Clubs take the trick total up to 11.
That was not an unreasonable defense but it certainly made life easy for Declarer. It’s a sterner test if South finds the double dummy shift of a Club after winning the A♥. Now, if Declarer ruffs a Spade (his 11th trick), he cannot draw trumps without cutting himself off from the Club suit, because of that 4-1 trump break.
Well, if the defense can be double dummy then so can Declarer. South shifts to the Club (after winning the A♥), but Declarer wins in his hand and leads a Diamond. South wins the Ace, and now Declarer scores 11 tricks on a cross-ruff. He reaches 11 with a Spade, two Diamonds, two Clubs, and three ruffs in each hand. The Club ruffs will all need to be made with high trumps, so at Trick 2, when trumps are led, it will have to be a low one from the board.
West North East South Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass
- South’s 2♦ was “waiting”, those Hearts being unbiddable at this point because both the hand and the suit are too weak. - Over 2♠, South sensibly chose to support Spades rather than introduce her mangy Hearts. The actual choice of 3♠ is stronger than a direct 4♠ bid. South may have only two points but that Diamond shortness could be worth a couple of tricks, making the hand too good for a mere 4♠ bid. - As North, would you cue-bid over 3♠? Not a good idea, in our opinion. North may well have 23 HCP’s but, in terms of playing strength, her hand is quite minimum, with four losers no less. If South’s hand is good enough to cover three of those losers, then it is South that needs to be making the slam move. So, North bids 4♠, warning South that, as 2♣ openers go, this one is quite minimum.
In 4♠, Declarer has 10 tricks with the help of a couple of Diamond ruffs.
West North East South Pass 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass
West might have tried for a 5-3 Heart fit via a New Minor Forcing sequence but reasonably decided that, with the extra points and playing strength, No Trump might well garner the same number of tricks as a 5-3 Heart fit.
If East plays in 3NT, South might well lead a Spade, which will be won by North’s King. Now, with Hearts breaking, there are 11 top tricks and the 12th comes in when the Clubs also break, making the Diamond finesse unnecessary.
If West plays in 4♥, North won’t be leading a Spade, a trump is more likely. This does not stop Declarer from scoring a Spade ruff on the board, and again it is 12 tricks.
West North East South 1♠ Pass 1NT 2♥ 2♠ Pass Pass 3♣ 3♠ All Pass - Over 1NT, 2♠ by North would be Michaels, but she preferred to bid her Hearts for lead-directing purposes. - When E-W stop in a lowly 2♠, North could not resist a death-defying balance of 3♣, after which East naturally enough bid one more Spade. - Credit to South for not pushing on to 4♣.
3♠ can be beaten, but it requires good defense. South leads the J♥, and the defense continues the suit. On the third round of Hearts, Declarer must ruff high and South does not overruff, instead she pitches a Club. Next comes the Q♠, which South ducks. North wins the trick with the K♠ and now leads a fourth round of trumps to gain a trump promotion for South’s lowly Spade Eight. Down one!
That was very nicely done by N-S who had to do quite a few good things to earn their plus score: - North bid 2♥ (rather than Michaels) to get a Heart lead - North balanced with 3♣ to get E-W to the 3-level - South did not overruff the 3rd round of Hearts - South was sure to duck the first round of Spades (if she grabs her Ace then Declarer might play an inspired low Spade on the second round of trumps) - South also did not overruff the 4th round of Hearts
West North East South Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass
East’s 3♣ was a New Minor Forcing type of bid, investigating the best game.
On opening lead against 4♥, North might indulge in this train of thought: - A trump lead probably won’t accomplish much, and may lose a tempo for the defense. - Leading one of the black suits does not appeal. - How about Diamonds? Much of West’s strength appears to be in Hearts, and it seems likely that the ♦K is with East or South. That being so, a low Diamond lead is awfully tempting, don’t you think?
So, the defense goes: Diamond to South’s Queen, Diamond back, Club shift. Down one! Yes, these brilliant leads are so much easier looking at all four hands. Without a low Diamond opening lead, 10 or 11 tricks are made.
West North East South 1♣ Pass 1♦ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass
We suppose that North will lead a Heart, won by Declarer, who plays the ♦Q from hand. North does not cover, and that leaves Declarer with a guess on the second round. Lead the Queen (hoping that South has doubleton Ten), or lead low (hoping that North has doubleton King). It will be 10 or 11 tricks, depending on that guess.
West North East South 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass
South bids 3NT (rather than Stayman) for two reasons: (a) her side has an abundance of HCP’s (substantially more than enough for game, but not enough for slam), (b) even when N-S have a major suit fit, given that shapeless South hand, they may well score the same number of tricks in 3NT.
On Board 25, in similar circumstances, we saw that 3NT was indeed the winner. How about here? - If North plays in 4♥: This will be 12 tricks, thanks to the friendly Spades and the Diamond ruff. - If North plays in 3NT: This one depends on the lead. If East leads a Diamond, it’s 12 tricks. Any other lead and it will be just 11 tricks. Had the Q♦ been onside then the 3NT bidders would be +690 against all of the +680’s. Oh, well.
Double Dummy Fantasy Deep Finesse says that 12 tricks can be made in No Trump and Deep Finesse is always right. East avoids a Diamond lead and starts with a Heart, won by Dummy’s Ace The J♠ is finessed A Spade is lost to East Heart return won by Declarer K♦ is cashed The J♦ is led (!!), covered by East’s Queen and Dummy’s Ace Three Clubs are cashed with the aid of the finesse Two Hearts are cashed ending on the board. When the last Heart is cashed, West is squeezed in Spades and Diamonds. Note the effect of the J♦ play. It transfers the Diamond threat from the East hand to the West hand, which of course is the same hand as the Spade threat. Hence the name, a Transfer Squeeze. Would it help for West to split his Spade honors? No, Declarer can simply duck and later score three Spade tricks.
West North East South 1NT Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ All Pass
Playing in 2♥, East can scramble 8 tricks, here’s one way: A♠ and K♠ are cashed Spade ruffed on the board Cross to the A♦ 9♥, covered by the Ten, Jack and Ace North exits a minor suit Heart to Dummy’s King At this point, North has the 75 of trumps sitting over the 64, so Declarer just cashes minor suit winners and lets North take her trumps whenever she likes.
West North East South 1♠ 2♣ Dbl Pass 2♠ Pass Pass Dbl 3♠ All Pass
A nice balancing Double by East, but to no avail, South pushes on to 3♠, making 9 tricks. South did well not to preempt to 4♠, that would have only succeeded in getting a minus score.
West North East South 1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass
Against 3NT, after a Diamond opening lead from North, Declarer is likely to come to 9 tricks. But if he tries an anti-percentage “intra-finesse” in Spades he can make no fewer than 11 tricks. Here’s another double dummy line of play to end the set: Diamond lead won by Declarer’s Ten Heart to Dummy’s Ace Ten of Spades covered by the Jack, Queen, Ace Heart return won by South’s Ace Diamond won by Declarer’s Ace Eight of Spades is run around, squashing South’s Seven That wizardry with the spots provides Declarer with 3 Spade tricks and 11 altogether. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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