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A High-Wire Lead.

Some action today from the Open Teams  at the Gold Coast Congress. Victory went to the Ware team below though they would not even have made the final had the following semi-final board gone against them.

Ware:  Michael Ware- Pete Hollands, Tom Jacob – Brian Mace, Hugh McGann – Matthew Thomson

Are you ready for a bit of danger and excitement?

 

 

It’s your lead as East to 6. Your 2 opening was less than an opening hand and showed both majors. North made a take-out double and over their partner’s 3NT call, introduced a diamond suit. 4 was a cue-bid and North then set the final contract. Well?

As East, you had already dodged a 4-figure bullet because had South passed 2x, as happened in the other semi-final match, the carnage would have been great after a trump lead and continuation. The declarer in that match managed 2 tricks or -1400 even at favourable vulnerability. Your aim here was to avoid a slightly smaller minus, -1370.

Ironically, perhaps, the lead of a spade or a trump would have been safe and North would eventually lose two tricks. Let’s see what would have happened after a heart lead:

 

If East leads a low heart, West can insert 10 losing to declarer’s K. Next comes a successful spade finesse and A, declarer discarding their remaining heart and would then only lose a club.

If East takes the A at trick 1, North will have three discards available (on QJ and via that spade finesse) to dispose 3 clubs. Once more the slam will make.

If North has to play hearts themselves (after a trump or spade lead), they will only have two discards available (on a heart and A) and will thus fail as they would have to take the club finesse.

However, step forward Pete Hollands who was on lead as East. He chose none of the above leads but found one you will not find recommended in any textbook, 9!

Remember, Pete had shown both majors. So, 9 looked like a shortage, seeking a ruff. North won with Q and could have made their slam by drawing trumps and playing on hearts and then spades (that finesse, again) since they now needed only two discards to avoid a club loser. Indeed, they would get a very pleasant surprise when they play A on the second round of the suit.

Yet, there was another way since it seemed that the club finesse could be repeated and then play on hearts for just one discard. Declarer was more certain that the club finesse would work than the spade finesse, as the opening bid hardly promised K.

So, declarer could draw trumps and play K. West won to play a club and North backed his judgement to take that club finesse. Down 1. Life’s tough in the fast lane!

Had the slam made, Ware would have lost 13 imps as at the other table, North-South rested in the safe 5. Defeating the slam gained them 12 imps. The result of the semi-final was a win to Ware by 14 imps. A significant lead? Certainly.

Richard Solomon

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