Counting Points

 

The enemy bidding (or lack of bidding) sets their range of HCP's, and the alert player remembers this information during the play of the hand.

 

Related Play Problems                   Play Problem 47

                                                        Play Problem 115

                                                        Play Problem 124

                                                        Play Problem 174

 

Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games

 

 

8	♠ A732 ♥ K52 ♦ QT7653 ♣	From 3rd January, 2007
♠ J ♥ 863 ♦ AJ84 ♣ AQ543	North West             East           South	♠ 854 ♥ AJ94 ♦ 92 ♣ 8762	Dlr     West Vul     None
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ KQT96 ♥ QT7 ♦ K ♣ KJT9	West    North   East     South 1♣       1♦        1♥        1♠ Dbl      2♠        Pass    2NT Pass    4♠        All Pass

 

4♠ is a fine contract.  There are two Aces to be lost and the real question is whether or not Declarer can muster up 11 tricks.  Two lines present themselves:

-         Set up the Diamonds … this will require 3-3 Diamonds or doubleton Jack and trumps 2-2, more adverse splits will be impossible to handle.

-         Try two ruffing finesses in Clubs, making 11 tricks when West has both the Ace and the Queen.

If there was any doubt as to the better line that disappears the moment West leads a low Heart, to East’s Jack and Declarer’s Queen.  Now, East is marked with the A♥ and J♥, which leaves just 12 enemy points unaccounted for … surely West needs them to justify the opening bid and will hold ♣AQ.  So, Declarer wins the Q♥, leads the K♣ covered by the Ace and ruffed, crosses back on a trump and takes another Club ruffing finesse, for 11 tricks.

 

24	♠ A76 ♥ Q74 ♦ KJ3 ♣ T854	From 2nd Jamuary, 2008
♠ 9842 ♥ KJT3 ♦ T765 ♣ 3	North Dummy       East           South	♠ KQJT3 ♥ 85 ♦ Q4 ♣ AKJ6	Dlr     West Vul     None
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ 5 ♥ A962 ♦ A982 ♣ Q972	West    North   East     South Pass    Pass    1♠        Dbl 2♠        Dbl      Pass    2NT 3♠        Pass    Pass    Pass

 

Against 3♠, South will probably lead a Club, which is not as bad for the defense as it looks, it’s merely one less Club to be ruffed on the board.  The play might go as follows:

            Club to Declarer’s Jack

            Club ruff

            Spade to the King

            Q♠ won by North’s Ace

            Spade return

Declarer will make his contract if he guesses the Hearts correctly, and he surely should if he reflects upon the bidding and the play:

-         South made a Takeout Double

-         North has show up with the A♠

-         South’s opening lead surely means that she does not have both the A♦ and Q♦.

The indications are that South has the A♥, without that card her Takeout Double would have been made with 8 or 9 HCP’s.  Making 9 tricks thanks to a little counting.

 

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