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Friday Post Mortem 27th July, 2012
Analysis by Brian Gunnell Click here for thewednesdaygame@yahoo.com Hand Records
West North East South Pass 1♣ Dbl 1♠ 2♥ 2♠ 4♥ 4♠ Pass Pass Dbl All Pass - East, like most players, doesn't pass with three quick tricks, even if the hand is just 11 HCP’s and fails the Rule of Twenty test. - On the next round of bidding, for those pairs that play Support Doubles, East’s 2♠ guarantees 4-card support. - We’d categorize West’s 4♠ as somewhat risky. He was bidding it as a sacrifice, of course, but South could well have 4 Spades on this auction, and it is easy enough to see the hand disintegrating in the face of repeated Heart leads.
If West plays in 4♠ doubled, he will make the contract unless the defenders cash their Diamonds in time. Here are three ways in which the defense could hand Declarer his contract: - North leads her singleton Club, hoping for a ruff. But Declarer wins the opening lead, draws two rounds of trumps and starts cashing Clubs. Alas for the defense, the last trump is in the hand with the three Clubs, so a Diamond loser goes away. Making 10 tricks. - North leads a trump and again it’s 10 tricks for Declarer. - North leads the Heart Ten and South mistakenly tries to cash a second Heart before cashing the Diamonds. But surely that won't happen, South will realize that North is unlikely to have 4 Hearts and 6 Diamonds.
How does 4♥ by North fare? Just fine, it’s 10 tricks, so, even if 4♠ doubled is beaten, E-W will have achieved a very good board.
West North East South 1♦ Pass 1♠ Dbl Rdbl 2♥ 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass
- East’s Redouble showed 3-card Spade support. - West’s 3♠ was invitational (4♠ was no doubt tempting with that double fit and nice distribution). - East dredged up 4♠.
Will 4♠ make? As on the previous board the opening lead will be crucial: - If North decides to cut down on Dummy’s ruffing power by leading a trump, then 10 tricks will roll in. - Alternatively, North might lay down the A♥. Will North now find the A♦ switch, beating the contract two tricks when South scores two ruffs? South can make sure that North does! On the first trick, she plays the Jack! This will be strange-looking enough give North pause for thought. It supposedly denies the Queen, and it’s obviously not top of a sequence as North is looking at the Ten. Surely, therefore, South is trying to send a message, which surely must be “Give me a Diamond ruff!” So, North cashes the A♦, leads a low Diamond (suit preference, just for practice), and South gets her two ruffs. That dropping of the J♥ is known as an Alarm Clock Play, it's purpose being to say "Wake up, Partner, there's something I want you to do!"
West North East South Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 4♦ Pass 4NT Pass 5NT Pass 7♠ All Pass
- With that 5-6 hand, West must decide whether to bid the 5-card suit first or whether to open with the longer suit planning to reverse. Well, maybe not much of a decision, surely that 4-loser hand is worth a reverse. - West’s 4♦ was a splinter, showing Spade support, Diamond shortness, and the values for game. - East, with substantial extras himself, tried Roman Key Card. - West’s 5NT response showed 2 Key Cards and a void. - East then had an easy enough 7♠ bid, surely Partner had the K♥ for his vigorous bidding (even Kxx in Clubs without the K♥ would have been enough). 13 easy tricks.
Where were N-S while all this was going on? South was fast asleep, that much we know. At this favorable vulnerability it pays to get into the auction with 5-5 hands, in the hope of either finding a profitable sacrifice or disrupting the opponents’ auction. Here is what might happen if South is more enterprising: South West North East Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠ 2NT 4♦ ?? Anything less than 6♦ here would be quite feeble, and even 7♦ is not unconscionable. In the face of this N-S barrage it would be quite a feat for N-S to reach their grand slam.
West North East South 1♣ Pass 1♦ Dbl Pass 1NT All Pass
Looks like 6 or 7 tricks, for one side or the other.
West North East South 1♥ Pass 1NT Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ All Pass - For the second hand in the set, the opening bidder (this time North) opens based on quick tricks. - South then bid a Forcing No Trump and the shaky contract of 2♥ was reached.
Unless the defense errs, there are two trumps, three Diamonds and the A♣ to be lost. That’s down one for starters, and if a Spade is also lost, then that will be the dreaded -200. Declarer can avoid that Spade loser if she plays on Clubs immediately, setting up a Spade pitch while she still has an entry to Dummy with the K♥. In fact, it’s even possible to imagine E-W going astray and letting 2♥ make with this unfortunate defense: J♠ lead won by Declarer’s Ace, West playing the Six Club to Dummy’s King Heart to Declarer’s Ace Club won by East’s Ace Spade continuation won by Declarer’s King Over to Dummy’s K♥ Q♣ is cashed, pitching a Spade Another Club, Declarer pitches a Diamond, East ruffs with a natural trump trick. Of course, East has to shift to a Diamond when in with the A♣, but the Spade situation may not be clear. For example, West might have started with ♠ KQ63 and Declarer with ♠ A98 (and the A♦), holdings that would be consistent with the play to the first trick.
West North East South Pass Pass 1♣ Pass 1NT All Pass
E-W can make 3NT but it’s a moderate game at best, we are not sure that we would want to be there.
Playing in a No Trump contract, East (or West) should come to 9 tricks easily enough. There are three Spades tricks available, plus three Hearts, two Diamonds and two Clubs. That’s 10 tricks, but the defense will surely get a trick in each suit before Declarer can collect his 10. So, we expect a bunch of 150’s and a sprinkling of 600’s.
West North East South 1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT Pass ??
North’s 2♣ was forcing to game. Now, after South’s 3NT, what should North do next? It’s an awkward hand! North has not yet shown her extras but is not strong enough to insist on slam, nor to charge into a Roman Key Card auction. What would 4NT mean here? For many partnerships that would indeed be Roman Key Card (with Diamonds the agreed suit), but experience shows that using 4NT for minor suit Blackwood is not effective. There are better methods available. If Minorwood is being played by N-S, then 4♦ would be Roman Key Card.
So, playing Minorwood, does that mean that North should bid 4♦, asking for Key Cards? We don’t think so, our own choice would be 4NT. As this is no longer needed for Blackwood it can be used as a general (and non-forcing) slam try. South, with her 5-5 shape and sound values, is just about worth a shot at 6♦.
6♦ requires some luck in the trump suit. South cashes the A♦ and the Ten appears on her left. Should she play for the drop on the second round? Or finesse against the Queen? Percentage-wise, these two plays are pretty close, so guess well!
West North East South 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass
E-W did well to stay out of slam on this board (even the 5-level is uncomfortably high). East showed great restraint with his 17 HCP’s, having received little encouragement from Partner (she might have cue-bid after 3♥, but chose not to).
The best lead for the defense is a Diamond, setting up a trick in the suit before Declarer can organize a Diamond pitch on the Spades. However, a Spade lead seems more likely on this auction, and now the defense’s Diamond trick is but a pipe-dream, and Declarer has 11 or 12 tricks depending on his play of the trump suit.
How should Declarer play the trump suit? The percentage play is to lead the Queen (or Jack), and, if North covers with the King, to finesse the Nine on the second round. This picks up the suit for no losers if North holds K8 or K6 or K3, but, the computer perversely dealt North KT, so the percentage play ends up losing one trump trick.
Here’s how 3NT may fare: Club lead to Dummy’s Queen Low Diamond to South’s Queen Club return won by Declarer Two more Clubs are cashed (Dummy pitching a Spade and a Heart) Diamond finesse is lost to South Now, the defense can score the A♠, but otherwise Dummy is good and it’s 10 tricks for Declarer.
West North East South 3♠ 4♠ 6♦ Dbl Pass Pass 6♠ Dbl All Pass - North opens 3♠, but would not have been completely out of line at this vulnerability if she had opened 4♠. Yes, really, White vs Red, no defense, good trump fillers, very tempting. But not at any other vulnerability. - East’s 4♠ bid shows a really strong hand, usually a two-suiter. - How about that 6♦ bid by South? South was always prepared to sacrifice in 6♠, and the nightmare scenario she was seeking to avoid was the opponents going to 7♣ or 7♥ and Partner failing to find the killing Diamond lead. So, she bids 6♦ along the way, just in case.
6♠ doubled turns out to be a fine sacrifice, going for only -500, a lovely score which even beats the N-S pairs whose opponents only got to game. And it turns out that the lead-directing 6♦ wins only style points, as the Diamond lead is not needed to hold E-W to 12 tricks.
West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 3NT All Pass
Even if E-W are playing their Weak Twos in the 5-10 range, East must have been tempted to open that straggly 11-count with 2♠, those side-suit quacks are not punching their weight. Either way, 3NT by West is the likely resting place.
Against 3NT, North has more or less equal holdings in the unbid suits, and in such a situation it’s usual to lead the major suit on the theory that if the opponents have a 4-card major it might well have been bid whereas a 4-card minor is more likely to be suppressed. So, let’s assume that North leads a 4th best Heart, won by Dummy’s Queen. The opening lead has given Declarer an immediate Heart trick, but it has also taken away an entry to Dummy’s Spades. In the circumstances, Declarer’s best chance is to pray that the Q♣ is with North, so he wins the opening Heart on the board, unblocks the K♠, and leads a low Club. North jumps up with the Q♣, and leads the K♥ to squash Dummy’s honor. Declarer now has 9 tricks (3 Spades, 2 Hearts, and 4 Clubs).
Suppose that North’s opening lead is a Diamond, won by South who continues the suit. North wins the second trick and Declarer’s Queen wins the third round. Now, Declarer cannot afford to lose both a Club and a Heart to go with those three Diamond losers, so the best plan is to unblock the K♠, cash the A♣ and K♣, and play a third round of Clubs hoping for one of the following: - Doubleton Q♣, giving Declarer 10 tricks (11 if the Spades break) - South has Qxx, and also the K♥, and in which case it’s 10 tricks. - North has the Q♣, she then cashes her Diamond winner, but is now end-played into giving the rest of the tricks to Declarer. This is the layout on the actual hand, making 9 tricks.
West North East South 1♣ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 2NT Pass 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass 4♣ Pass 4♥ Pass 6♣ All Pass - 2♣ was an inverted raise, showing invitational values or better, no 4-card major. An alternative for North was 3NT (showing 13-15) but she reasoned that she was too slammish for that. - As played by this pair, 2♥ showed something in Hearts and was game-forcing. - 2NT was natural - 3♣ was still forcing, of course, presumably with interest in a Club slam. - 3♦ showed something in Diamonds, cooperating in the slam hunt. - 4♣ was Minorwood - Using 1430 responses, 4♥ shows 0 or 3.
In the play of 6♣, with Clubs 2-1, 12 tricks are easy and the attempt for a 13th fails when the Diamond finesse loses.
West North East South Pass 2♥ Dbl 4♥ All Pass That’s not much of a vulnerable 2♥ opening, and it gets N-S to 4♥ in a hurry. 4♥ is not such a terrible contract, though there is work to be done. East leads a low trump, won by Dummy’s Eight. There are 8 sure tricks, and you could go for a Diamond ruff and the Club finesse to get you to 10. Is there a better line?
Spades are probably 4-3. How so? With 5 Spades, East would probably overcall 2♠ instead of doubling, and with only 2 Spades his hand would not be suitable for a Double. So, instead of making sure of the Diamond ruff, Declarer can use the Dummy entries to set up a long Spade for the 9th trick. This line has various ways to win: - Trumps may be 2-2 all the time in which case the Diamond ruff will materialize anyway as the 10th trick. - Even if trumps are 3-1, it is quite likely that the defense will be unable to stop the Diamond ruff later in the play. - Finally, if trumps are 3-1, and if the defense is able to prevent the Diamond ruff, then the Clubs can still provide a 10th trick if the J♣ is with East.
So, the recommended line of play (when trumps turn out to be 2-2) is: Win the 8♥ on the board Spade won by East’s Ten Heart continuation won on the board (both defenders following) Spade ruff Cross to the A♦ Spade ruff Now a Club is led towards the board and 10 tricks are assured.
Keys to Success - Deducing that Spades are most likely to be 4-3 - Realizing that setting up the long Spade has additional ways to win - Using Dummy’s entries to ruff out the Spades
West North East South Pass 3♥ 4♠ Dbl All Pass
That 3♥ bid is far from ideal, we always hate to preempt with an outside Ace. Then again, the hand is not good enough for a 1♥ opening, that would be altogether too much of a stretch. We may be in a minority but we don’t think that a 7-card Weak Two would be egregious here (but passing would be).
Against 4♠ doubled, West leads a Heart won on the board (Declarer pitching a Club), then a Diamond to West’s Ace, a Heart ruff, and the A♠ is cashed getting the bad news. Now the best that Declarer can do is to run the Diamonds while there is still a trump on the board, retaining trump control and getting out for down one.
West North East South Pass 1NT 2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass
If South’s Diamonds had been stronger, such that her hand was suitable for a 1♦ opening and a 3♦ jump rebid, then that would have been South’s choice. But with such rotten Diamonds she reasonably chose 1NT instead. If E-W are playing DONT then West will have no hesitation in bidding 2♥ (Hearts and Spades), after which East will be too good not to invite game with 3♥ (6-4, bid more!), an invitation that will be accepted with alacrity.
With 6 HCP’s and a strong holding in Declarer’s second suit, North must have been tempted to double 4♥ and lead a trump. Well, the Double would not have been a success, there are 10 tricks on any defense.
West North East South Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT Pass 2♠ Pass Pass 2NT Pass 3♦ All Pass
Despite the alarming vulnerability, South refuses to sell out to 2♠, and emboldened by that nice 5-5 distribution, she chirps in with 2NT showing a two-suiter (doesn’t have to be restricted to the minors in this situation). North does not know which are South’s two suits, so he bids 3♦, being prepared to play in 3♦ or 3♥.
Against 3♦, West starts out with high Spades and here’s how the play might start: The A♠ is cashed The K♠ is ruffed Cross to the A♥ Club lead to South’s King Club to East’s Queen Diamond to the Queen, King, Ace Now, there is a (risky) route to 10 tricks. Declarer finesses the Diamond Eight, ruffs a Club, ruffs a Spade, and exits a Club, forcing East to lead a Heart into Dummy’s KJ at Trick 12.
Pretty play by Declarer, but after South’s death-defying balancing act, it would be a shame to risk the contract that way … if the finesse of the 8♦ loses to the Ten and West returns a trump, Declarer will be down one. The line which makes 9 tricks with safety is (after winning the A♦) to cross to the J♦, ruff a Club, ruff a Spade, and exit a Club. East can draw Declarer’s last trump, but, once again, he is end-played in Hearts.
West North East South 1♦ 2♥ Pass 3♥ Dbl All Pass
Here’s another preemptive action at favorable vulnerability and it’s hard to say whether this one is a success or not, it all depends on how many E-W pairs bid and make their 3NT game.
Against 3♥ doubled, it’s easy to see how the defense can score 6 tricks … two Clubs, two Spades, A♥ and a Spade ruff, for +300. Do you see how the defense can score a 7th trick? Follow this sparkling defense: Low Heart won on the board Low Club, West must bravely duck(!), won by East Low Heart (not the Ace and another!) Low Club from the board, West must duck again! A♥ is cashed Q♠ covered by the King and Ace J♠ is cashed Spade ruff Another Club is cashed Down three! Spectacular defense, but still not enough to beat the E-W pairs who made 3NT.
West North East South 1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass
Every N-S pair will play this in 4♠, a contract in which Declarer has 7 winners, and can get the required extra tricks in one of these two ways: - If trumps are 2-2, then there will be two Heart ruffs on the board, plus the chance of a 10th (or 11th) if either one (or both) of the A♣ and K♦ is onside. Note that Declarer does not have the entries to her hand to go after two Heart ruffs before drawing trumps. - If trumps are 3-1, then there will be only one Heart ruff, and it will be necessary to find two extra side-suit tricks. It turns out that trumps are 2-2, and one of the minor suit cards is onside, so that’s 10 tricks for Declarer.
West North East South 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass 3♥ Pass 4♦ Pass 4NT Pass 5♦ Pass 5♠ Pass 5NT Pass 6♥ All Pass - West’s 3♣: On this occasion West actually has Clubs, but 3♣ in this sequence may be a bid of convenience, designed to create a force while the partnership looks for the best game. - East’s 3♦: East might have rebid the Hearts again (AKQxxx almost looks like a 7-card suit), but instead marks time with 3♦. - West’s 3♥: Don’t try this unless you are sure that Partner will take it as forcing. - East’s 4♦: A cue-bid. East has a good hand for someone who was only able to make a simple 2♥ rebid. - West’s 4NT: Roman Key Card Blackwood. - East’s 5♦: 0 or 3 Key Cards (1430 responses) - West’s 5♠: This is the cheapest non-signoff, and as such is the Queen Ask. - East’s 5NT: Shows the Q♥ but denies a side-suit King (which is impossible, anyway, considering the 2♥ rebid). After all that bidding, West still has a choice to make … 6♥, 6NT, 7♥, even 7NT? East clearly has ♥AKQxxx and the A♦, so assuming that Hearts are 3-2 there are 12 tricks on top in either Hearts or No Trump. What are the chances of a 13th trick? East can hardly have much more than ♥AKQxxx and the A♦, otherwise he would have rebid 3♥. He won’t have a 7th Heart, probably not the Q♠. The J♣ is a possibility, perhaps, though something of a long shot. It looks as if the most likely chance of a 13th trick is to ruff out the Spades, but even then there might be entry problems, especially if the defense leads a Club, knocking out one of West’s entries before it can be usefully put to work establishing the Spades. So, 6♥ or 6NT, you choose.
6NT makes 12 tricks … 6♥ will make 12 or 13, depending upon whether the opening lead is a Club.
West North East South Pass Pass Pass 1NT Pass 2♥ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass
Playing Jacoby Transfers, it is customary to “super-accept” when the opening bidder has 4 cards in the transfer suit. Here is a simple method (after 1NT 2♥): - 2NT: A good hand with 4 Spades. - 3♠: A middling hand with 4 Spades - 2♠: A poor hand with 4 Spades (or any hand with 2 or 3 Spades)
The definitions of good, middling and poor can be left vague, but they should be based as much on hand-type as on HCP’s. For example, a 4-4-2-3 15-count with Aces and Kings looks much more like a 3♠ bid than would a square and quacky 16-count.
The main benefit of this particular method of super-accepting is that it doesn’t volunteer unnecessary information to the opponents in the way that some other methods do. Anyway, using that method, this tasty-looking 15-point hand is easily worth a 3♠ super-accept, showing a middling hand.
Playing in 4♠ Declarer has 10 tricks.
West North East South 1♥ Pass 1NT Dbl 2♣ 2♦ Dbl Pass Pass 2♠ All Pass
What was East thinking when he doubled 2♦? He would have done better to collect the undertricks 100 points at a time, scoring +200 or +300 for a fine board. Instead, he got greedy and chased the opponents into the calmer waters of 2♠. That contract makes 8 tricks with careful play.
West North East South Pass Pass Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass
- West has 17 HCP’s, a 5-card suit, and that useful Ten in his long suit, perhaps just a bit too good for a 1NT opening. - With no values in Hearts, East elects for the No Trump game in preference to 4♥.
North leads the J♦. Let’s say that Declarer plays low from Dummy and wins the Ace in his hand. Declarer will play on Hearts, and the best way to do this is to cross to the K♠ and lead a low Heart from the board. In order to beat the contract, South must find a terrific play. Yes, she hops up with the King and shoots back a Diamond! This piece of brilliance preserves North’s entry and allows the Diamonds to be enjoyed before the Hearts are established. Declarer did well to lead that first Heart from the board, if he had led the Q♥ from his hand, North would have ducked and the defense would have been easy. But, on this occasion, great defense beats good Declarer play.
It’s quite possible that West will end up in 4♥. Leading from KJT9x against a suit contract is not appealing (and would give away the contract, as it happens), so let’s say that North leads a passive Spade. Declarer wins on the board and leads a Heart, and, once again, the killing (and most difficult to find) defense is to jump up with the King and shoot back a Diamond, ensuring that the defense scores two high trumps, the K♦ and a Diamond ruff.
West North East South 1♦ 1♠ 1NT 2♥ All Pass
A straightforward hand with 9 easy tricks for Declarer.
West North East South 4♥ Pass ??
The Heart slam is difficult to reach and we would not fault North’s Pass. However, there is a useful gadget after a 4♠ or 4♥ opening bid, namely that a change of suit is an asking bid in that suit. Here’s a simple set of responses (after North asks with 4♠): - 5♥ shows two (or more Spade losers) - 4NT shows the protected K♠ - 6♥ shows a singleton Spade - 5♠ is a first-round Spade control (presumably a void)
Armed with that method, North bids 4♠, South bids 5♠, and North settles for 6♥. 12 tricks when the Diamond finesse loses.
West North East South Pass Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 4♠ All Pass
West avoided an unspeakable Weak Two (rotten suit, too much outside), and then stretched to a 2♣ Drury bid next time around.
Against 4♠, South might well lead a trump, after which Declarer can score 12 tricks this way: Win the A♠ Club finesse Cash A♥ Ruff two Clubs and two Hearts Q♠ losing to North’s King Win the return in hand, draw the last trump, enjoy the Hearts What do you think of that line of play? Pretty optimistic we would say! If the Club finesse loses the defense will play two rounds of trumps, holding Declarer to a paltry 8 tricks! Here’s a more sensible line where Declarer sets his sights lower: Win the A♠ Cross to the A♣ Cash the A♥ Ruff a Club, ruff a Heart, ruff a Club Cash A♦ and K♦ Ruff a Heart high Exit with the Q♣, hoping that the K♠ is with North or that South is end-played The cross-ruff is safer but it ends up providing only 10 tricks.
West North East South 1♣ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass
South’s 2NT showed 11-12 HCP’s and it seems a more descriptive choice than raising Clubs or bidding 1♦. As for North, she was no doubt seduced into bidding 3NT by those lovely Clubs.
3NT turns out to be a dubious contract, but it makes on the friendly lie of the cards. West will lead the T♠ and Declarer will optimistically play on Hearts, won by West. Now: - If West persists with Spades, the Jack will be finessed successfully, another Heart is played, and Declarer winds up with a surprising 10 tricks. - If West shifts to a Diamond, the K♦ will score a trick, and the J♠ must be finessed for just 9 tricks.
West North East South Pass 1♥ Pass 2NT Pass 3♣ Pass 4♠ Pass 5♣ Pass 7♥ All Pass
North’s 2NT was a game-forcing Heart raise (Jacoby), 3♣ showed shortness, and 4♠ was the dreaded Exclusion Key Card Blackwood. We say “dreaded” for three reasons: - Once Exclusion has been added to their repertoire, many players have this irresistible urge to use the exotic new toy at inopportune moments. Just like they did when they first learned about Blackwood. - Exclusion veterans often have some war stories to tell about how they landed in a 2-0 fit at the 5-level and how they played magnificently to get out for down only six. - Whereas just about the whole world plays 1430 responses to Roman Key Card, it is generally agreed that 3014 responses work better with Exclusion. Well, let’s rephrase that … they work better when both partners are playing that style. Notwithstanding the aforementioned, this actually is a good hand for Exclusion, and will get the partnership to the grand slam even when the A♠ is missing. In the featured auction, 4♠ said “Tell me about your Key Cards, disregarding the A♠”, and 5♦ said “I have one such Key Card”. North reasonably bid the grand slam, no doubt praying that South did not have a death hand such as: ♠ AQ, ♥ JTxxxx, ♦ AJxxx, ♣ --. Even then, a 4-4 Club break will win the day for Declarer.
West North East South Pass 1♣ Pass 1♥ 1♠ 2♣ 2♠ Dbl Pass 3♣ 3♠ Dbl All Pass
- South makes one of those fashionable lead-directing 4-card overcalls. - East’s first Double was value-showing, a hand without a clear direction. - North competes to the three-level, expecting her side to have a 9-card fit. - East’s second Double was speculative.
In this situation, where the opponents have been doubled on power, it’s often a good idea to lead trumps, and that works well against 3♠. Other than trump tricks, Declarer’s only source of additional tricks is in Diamonds, and the percentage play in that suit is to finesse the Eight, playing West for QTx or KTx. Knowing that, West can make a good play by rising with the Q♦ on the first round of the suit, a play which has two ways to win: - Declarer might place West with KQ♦ and guess wrong on the second round of the suit. - Even if Declarer is unfooled by the Q♦ play, it might well disrupt her entries. She cannot duck the Q♦, that would result in two Diamond losers, and taking the Ace on the first round of the suit will allow the defense to duck the second round of the suit, if appropriate.
Down one or two, depending on what happens in the Diamond suit.
West North East South 3♣ Pass Pass 3NT All Pass
South guesses to bid 3NT, will it make?
West leads the Q♣, a nice Dummy appears, and East discards the Spade Five. Assuming that the Diamonds are brought in for one loser, you can count 9 sure tricks. What’s the best way to play that Diamond suit? And what’s the most promising plan to make an overtrick?
First, the Diamonds. If the suit is 4-1 then the obvious safety play is to win Dummy’s Ace, and take a deep finesse on the second round if East plays low. But there are two reasons not to do this: - If West has Jx or Qx of Diamonds and the A♠, then you’ll go down in a cold contract. - You would like to use that A♦ entry to lead a Spade towards our hand, giving you the possibility of a Spade-Heart endplay against East if, as is quite likely, he holds the A♠ and the Q♥. A better solution is to run the T♦ around to East at Trick 2. This keeps West off lead, and we can still take a third round Diamond finesse if the suit is 4-1. East wins that Diamond trick and cannot return a Heart. A Spade could also be dangerous, so East will probably go passive and return a Diamond. That is won on the board, a Spade is led to the King. Now Declarer can cash the Diamond winners, coming down to this end-position: Dummy ♠ Q97 ♥ AJ2 West East ♠ ♠ AJT ♥ T53 ♥ Q87 ♣ JT7 ♣ Declarer ♠ 6 ♥ K94 ♣ K9 The K♣ is cashed, a Spade is pitched from Dummy, and whatever East does he will get end-played: - If East pitches a Spade, Declarer will know that it is safe to exit a Spade. There will only be two Spades unaccounted for, and once they have been cashed, East will be end-played in Hearts. - If East pitches a Heart, Declarer will simply cash three Heart tricks. Either way, it’s 10 tricks.
Keys to Success - Ducking a Diamond to East, preserving Dummy’s entry for a later Spade play - Counting the Spade discards to determine whether a Spade throw-in is safe
West North East South 1♣ Pass 1♦ Pass 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass
We would not feel compelled to open North’s square 12-count but, either way, it seems likely that North will end up as Declarer in 3NT. East leads a low Spade to West’s Queen and Declarer’s Ace. Declarer will not know which defender has that missing high Spade, but, fortunately, the Diamond finesse can be taken into the safe hand. When East wins the K♦ he can go one of two ways: - The Prosaic Defense: Spades are continued, allowing Declarer to score a second Spade trick and a total of 10 tricks. She’ll score 2 Spades, 2 Hearts, 5 Diamonds and only one Club (not daring to take the Club finesse). - The Diabolical Defense: East wins the K♦ and shifts to a Club! Declarer will quite reasonably fly with the Ace, cash her winners and settle for 9 tricks. Nice shift!
So, it’s a hand where 11 tricks are always available, but 10 are more likely unless East diabolically makes it just 9 with that wicked Club shift.
West North East South Pass Pass 1♣ Pass 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 3♥ All Pass
There’s lots of work to be done in 3♥, but Declarer can prevail if she refrains from drawing trumps, as in this line of play: T♠, covered by the Jack and Ace Another Spade won by the King Spade ruff Three rounds of Diamonds A 4th Diamond is ruffed (if South had followed, Declarer would pitch a Club) A Club to North’s Ace A Club continuation, low from Dummy, ruffed by South Now, South must exit a Spade in order to ensure that she gets the 4th defensive trick from her Heart holding. Making 9 tricks.
West North East South Pass Pass Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT All Pass
1NT is the obvious spot. The percentage play in the Club suit is to cash the Ace and lead towards the Queen, bringing in 3 Clubs to go with 3 Diamonds and 2 Hearts. That’s +120.
We certainly would not argue with a 2♣ rebid from East and that works out better on the actual hand. West raises to 3♣ and that is where East will play it. He’ll make 10 tricks for sure, and maybe even 11 if South does not find the opening lead of a trump.
Back to the bidding. Did any Souths get into the auction? In this set, N-S have had a few auctions where the favorable vulnerability dictated action. The flip side of that coin is that unfavorable vulnerability suggests caution, and so it is here. If South overlooks this obvious point she might well overcall 1♠ (for the lead) and end up in a painful contract of 2♠ doubled.
West North East South Pass Pass 1♣ Pass 2♣ Pass Pass Dbl Pass 2♦ Pass Pass Dbl Pass 2♥ All Pass
West’s 2♣ was an Inverted Minor raise, showing invitational values (could be more if by an unpassed hand) and no 4-card major. East had nothing more to say opposite a passed hand, South reasonably doubled back in, and later it was West’s turn to keep the auction open with a Double in the pass-out seat. A nice 2♥ bid by South, trying for the 4-3 fit.
It looks as if South will live to regret her balancing Double. 2♣ was destined to make 9 tricks for 110, whereas 2♥ probably also makes 9 tricks, for 140 (the defense can hold it to 8 tricks if they get their Heart ruff, but that seems unlikely). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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