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4+2+3= 8!

Having 9 tricks does not always mean it is easy to make 3NT. They can be awkward to unravel and if you are not careful, 9 could easily become 8. With that in mind, have a look at today’s deal.

 

West’s 2-level action was rather risky from a passed hand (had North doubled, North-South would have been very happy defenders as South would certainly have converted the “action” double for penalties). However, North showed their second suit and 3NT became the obvious ending.

West led 2 (low: like) and East followed with 9. Plan the play in the knowledge that East holds JT76.

It would have been very straightforward to make at least 10 tricks had spades broken 3-3 (5 spades, 2 hearts and 3 club tricks) but even with one spade trick less, South could still count to 9.

However, South made hard work of making their contract. They played three top spades with South throwing a club and West a heart. South discarded a diamond and West another heart on the fourth round of spades. That fourth round of spades saw East gain the lead to play 7. South took their ace with these cards remaining. Declarer had won 5 tricks so far:

Five in the bag and 2 and three club tricks to come. Yet, getting those three club tricks would not prove easy. However, West’s unwise overcall should have given South the clue they needed.

South played a club to the ace, cashed the winning spade, throwing a diamond from hand, and then played Q realising too late they were stuck in dummy to lead away from the K.

These were the four hands:

 

West won the Q and cashed K and A…and South had a very unwelcome guess as to which honour to discard at trick 12, either Q or K. They guessed wrong (West had thrown a third heart on the 2) throwing K and the J became the defence’s 5^th trick at trick 13. A tale of woe.

Even without the overcall which surely placed A with West, South was short-sighted in playing the club to dummy. Although they seemed to have 9 tricks, they could not cash them all. Therefore, they should have played a diamond towards dummy. If East did hold A, they could not continue hearts. So, at worst, there was one loser in each major and declarer could afford to play a diamond towards and insert 10…except on this occasion, either Q or A would appear from West, solving all South’s problems.

South should play a diamond when in with A even when West was silent in the bidding. Attacking that suit was the best way to come to 9 tricks even though South had in theory nine without playing diamonds. There would not then have been one of those “trick 12 what's the defender’s last card” guesses which we usually get wrong.

Hopefully, the equation would be that 4+2+1+2= 9. 

Also, there is an even safer way to score a certain 9 tricks, as long as the spade break is no worse than 4-2. Win the opening heart lead, play AQ and lead a low spade from dummy. 4+2+3 (3 clubs) certainly equals 9. 

Richard Solomon

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