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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

Good timing, great result!

So, you are doubled in your pre-empt. How you wished you had a 7th trump! Never mind, dummy looks half decent and this will be no blood-bath. Even better if you could make your contract. Can you?

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

 

West leads Heart-smallK. A couple of clues. East holds Diamond-smallA while when a first round of trumps is played, you insert the Club-small9 and that draws the ace. Well?

The first thing to realise is that West’s double was for take-out and that it was East who converted it to a penalty double. You would be in a much worse position if West held long clubs.

Barring a miracle Kx in the West hand, or misdefence, you will have a spade to lose, Diamond-smallA and Club-smallAK. In order to make your contract, you must not lose a trick to the Club-smallJ. That’s key to your line of play.

So, win the Heart-smallA and discard a diamond as you do not want to have to ruff a diamond in dummy. Those little trumps there are needed to play trumps.

Then lead Diamond-small3 from dummy. These are the four hands:

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

 

East took their ace (take it or lose it as two diamonds could then be ruffed) and returned their lowest trump. South inserted Club-small9 losing to the Club-smallA.

East exited a diamond to declarer’s Diamond-smallK. Then came a spade to the Spade-smallQ and an extremely important play, a heart ruffed in hand. South did not want too many trumps left in their hand towards the end of the play.

South cashed their other diamond winner and played a spade to the ace and then called for dummy’s remaining club. At that point these cards remained:  

 
 
7 2
J 8
5
K 6
Q 9
J
 
N
W   E
S
 
10
10
K J 8
 
J
Q 10 7 4

 

Declarer played dummy’s trump and East made the mistake of taking Club-smallK. They had to play a red card enabling South to ruff and exit the spade and declarer now took the last two tricks with Club-smallQT, contract making. Had East played low, South would soon be leading away from Club-smallQT giving both tricks to the defence.

The key to such a deal is for South to reduce their trump holding by ruffing hearts from dummy, rather than playing dummy’s diamond.

Heart-smallA discarding a diamond and ruff a heart and a spade to the queen and ruff a heart. Now Diamond-smallK won by the ace with East returning a trump to West’s ace. West is best to exit a diamond and then these cards remain with declarer having taken Heart-smallA, 2 heart ruffs, Spade-smallQ and Diamond-smallQ.

 
 
A 7
J 8 7
5
K 6 5
Q
J 9
 
N
W   E
S
 
10
5 2
K J 8
 
J 8
8
Q 10 7

 

Now ruff the diamond in dummy, cash Spade-smallA and a third heart ruff and declarer can exit a spade. They must win one more trick with Club-smallQT doubleton left.

It can be unnerving ruffing in this way but where a defender has a strong trump holding: this is what you must do to come to 9 tricks.

 

Not easy and our declarer was on the right track but needed a little help from East.

 

Opening Leads again
 
North Deals
None Vul
   
Q 9 2
10 7 4 2
7
A K J 6 2
 
N
W   E
S
   
West North East South
  2  Pass 2 
3  3  Pass 5 
Pass 6  All pass  

 

What is your choice? 2Club-small is a normal artificial game force. You reminded partner what to lead as it looked like North would be declarer… but no, South has ended up in the driving seat. (2Diamond-small was just a negative). So?

Richard Solomon

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