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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

Two Ways Home.

Today’s deal came from the final round of the Auckland Easter Teams and gave both declarers a little headache. They were to solve it in different ways.

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South Deals
Both Vul

   

A Q J 8

A 5

4

A K Q J 10 8

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

9

Q 9 7 3

A Q J 9 8 7 6

9

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

 

Pass

2 ♣

Pass

3 

Pass

4 ♣

Pass

4 

Pass

4 ♠

Pass

5 

Pass

6 ♣

All pass

 

 

Apart from the opening Game Forcing 2Club-small, the bidding was natural. How would you play on the lead of Diamond-small10 from North.

At the second table, West opened a Precision style 1Club-small. North doubled to show both majors. East showed a positive response with diamonds (2Club-small showed diamonds). West then relayed and discovered their partner had at least 6 diamonds and had 4 hearts. He then key-carded in hearts being interested in the missing ace and the Heart-smallK. East showed 1 key card whereupon West settled in 6Club-small. Same Diamond-small10 lead. How do you play?

At the first table, West did not know that much about the opponents’ hands. The Diamond-small10 had been led very soon after the bidding was over. Hugh McGann (West) gave this opening lead considerable thought and eventually inserted Diamond-smallJ from dummy. That held the trick!

South Deals
Both Vul

K 10 6 3

K J 10 4 2

K 10

7 5

A Q J 8

A 5

4

A K Q J 10 8

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

9

Q 9 7 3

A Q J 9 8 7 6

9

 

7 5 4 2

8 6

5 3 2

6 4 3 2

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

 

Pass

2 ♣

Pass

3 

Pass

4 ♣

Pass

4 

Pass

4 ♠

Pass

5 

Pass

6 ♣

All pass

 

 

Hugh cashed Diamond-smallA discarding his heart loser. He then played a spade to the ace and ruffed Spade-small8 in dummy. Back to the Heart-smallA to draw trumps, give up a spade and claim.

Once the Diamond-smallJ scored at trick 1, it was pretty straightforward for Hugh. It was a bit harder for Jerry Chen, West, at the other table. He knew his left hand opponent held both majors. That Diamond-small10 looked dangerously like a singleton. So, he took his Diamond-smallA and played a spade to the ace and then played Spade-smallQ. North covered and Jerry ruffed. He returned to hand via a diamond ruff. He then played out his remaining 5 trumps. With one trump left, this was the position:

 

10 6

K J 10

J 8

A 5

J

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

Q 9 7

Q J

On Club-smallJ, North had to throw Heart-smallT and then (or Heart-smallJ) Jerry had the luxury of end-playing North (Mike Doecke) in either major suit. He chose to play Heart-smallA and a second heart and very soon claimed 12 tricks. Hard work for a flat board!

Notice that tricky Diamond-small10 lead at both tables (from Tom Jacob and Mike Doecke…the latter being end-played for his trouble!) and the importance of those two black singleton 9’s. Please also spare a thought too for the two South players, Michael Ware and Steph Jacob. Both, particularly Michael, have accumulated a wad of master-points over the years. Have they ever held a worse hand than the South one above?!

Richard Solomon

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