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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

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WRONG BUT ALL RIGHT.

A couple of days ago, we gave an example of being “wrong” but “right” in the bidding. Here, we look at a play problem where being wrong did not mean that your contract had to fail.

It may have been more helpful if one’s opponents have better system agreements though one often has to deal with uncertainty at the table. So, the situation below is not uncommon.

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South Deals
None Vul
A K J 8 5
J 9 4
7 5 2
8 4
   
N
W   E
S
   
 
9 4 3
A 7 2
K Q J 8
A Q 9
West North East South
      1 
Pass 1  2  Dbl
3  Pass Pass 3 NT
All pass      

 

What we know about the bidding is "not enough" but will have to do. 2Spade-small showed hearts and clubs, Michaels style, though there was no agreement as to strength or what 2Diamond-small would have meant from East. Presumably Michaels as well!

You doubled 2Spade-small trying to show three card support for partner though got no reaction. 3Club-small was preference and there you were, to make a decision. 3NT had some merit. So, you tried to it and no-one doubled!

The lead is the Heart-smallK and armed with not a lot of information, your aim is to make 9 tricks…don’t worry at this stage about overtricks!

If we had known the strength of the Michaels' bid, we would have more of an idea where the Diamond-smallA might be. Where it is affects our play to trick 1. We need at least one diamond trick even if we can bring home 5 spade tricks, along with the club finesse, which should work. If East has the Diamond-smallA and we duck the Heart-smallK, we cannot stop them taking 4 heart tricks and the Diamond-smallA (well, on the face of it, at least) but we can if we win trick 1 with Heart-smallJ a threat in dummy.

However, if West has Diamond-smallA, then we must duck one round of hearts. So, win or duck that Heart-smallK?

Declarer decided to play West for that card and ducked. A low heart was continued to East’s Heart-small10 and the Heart-smallA. South played a spade to the ace (no singleton queen!) and a low diamond from table. Curtains! This was the lay-out.

South Deals
None Vul
A K J 8 5
J 9 4
7 5 2
8 4
Q 7 6
K 3
10 9 6 4 3
7 5 3
 
N
W   E
S
 
10 2
Q 10 8 6 5
A
K J 10 6 2
 
9 4 3
A 7 2
K Q J 8
A Q 9
West North East South
      1 
Pass 1  2  Dbl
3  Pass Pass 3 NT
All pass      

 

If West held the Diamond-smallA and the spades were as friendly as they could be (they were!), there was no danger to the contract. However, note that South still needed the club finesse to work (or score a second diamond trick). The club finesse did seem more likely to work than the Diamond-smallA be with West.

So, return to hand with a club to the queen (not the diamond) and take the spade finesse and run the spades. East had to keep four winners to beat the contract. Their first two discards could be clubs..but the third discard from Heart-smallQ86 Diamond-smallClub-small KJ ? East’s best chance would be to throw another club hoping West held Club-small9…but no joy and South would have made 9 tricks without making one in diamonds.

While South went wrong at trick 1, there was still a chance they could survive if the lay-out was kind. The percentage chance of success was actually greater than a 50% guess as South could still come to 9 tricks even when they guessed wrong!

Down to the Wire

You are 730 points up going into the last board of 30 in our National Rubber Bridge competition and the opposition are needing a slam or a sizeable penalty off you to advance. This is your hand, with neither side vulnerable and the start of a fresh Rubber

     
East Deals
None Vul
 
N
W   E
S
 
7 5
K
A K Q J 10 8 6
Q 4 2
West North East South
    ?  

 

What if anything would you open?

Richard Solomon

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