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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

Out Pipped!

You have heard the saying many times about the fact if you bid your hand up, then you must play it well. So, it is time to say it once more because today you have certainly bid your hand fearlessly. I need say no more.

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East Deals
E-W Vul

J 10 5

A J 8

7 4

A 8 6 5 4

   

N

W

 

E

S

   
 

A Q 3

10 9 7 5 4

K J 8 6

9

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

1 ♣

1 

Pass

2 ♣

Dbl

4 

All pass

 

 

 

1Club-small could have been short but by the double of 2Club-small was not. You have not the best of trump suits but put in an overcall. Then, when your partner shows game interest in hearts with their 2Club-small bid, you take on the challenge straightaway.

West leads Club-smallJ which you win in dummy, East encouraging. You start off with Spade-smallJ which holds the trick and then play a low diamond from dummy on which East plays Diamond-smallA. East continues with Club-smallK which you ruff with Heart-small7. West overruffs with Heart-smallK and exits Heart-small2. Your play?

You still have to deal with the possibility of having to ruff two diamonds in dummy. If you can do that, or indeed if the Diamond-smallQ appears in thee rounds, then one ruff is enough and you can afford to lose to Heart-smallQ, losing perhaps just two trumps and Diamond-smallA. So, you rise with Heart-smallA but all is not quite as it seemed:

East Deals
E-W Vul

J 10 5

A J 8

7 4

A 8 6 5 4

9 7 6 2

K Q 6 3 2

10 5 3

J

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

K 8 4

A Q 9 2

K Q 10 7 3 2

 

A Q 3

10 9 7 5 4

K J 8 6

9

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

1 ♣

1 

Pass

2 ♣

Dbl

4 

All pass

 

 

 

Just a little false-card from West but an effective one. After winning Heart-smallA, declarer cashed Diamond-smallK and ruffed a diamond. Both defenders followed but no Diamond-smallQ had appeared.

These cards remained with the defence having taken 2 tricks:

 

10 5

J

6 5 4

976

Q 6 3

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

K8

Q

Q10 7

 

AQ

10 9 5

J

 

A spade was played to Spade-smallQ and Diamond-smallJ ruffed in dummy with West throwing a spade. Declarer played a spade to the ace and then Heart-small10 which West ducked and rightly so. West took the last two trump tricks to beat the contract. The contract would have been made had South inserted Diamond-smallJ on the second round of the suit or had West won Heart-small10 with their Heart-smallQ. By ruffing with Heart-smallK, West had given the impression that the Heart-smallQ was elsewhere and followed this up with the necessary duck of the Heart-small10.   

Bridget and Tony Q 23.jpg  
  Bridget and Tony
The cunning West was my Congress successor, Bridget Hannaway, who with the nice defence above amongst others won the prize with her partner, Tony Quinlivan, at the North Island Pairs of top pair in the event who did not include a grand-master. It was the first time Bridget and Tony had played live together at a tournament.
More tomorrow for our JIN Club members.

Richard Solomon

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