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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

or as even as could be.

Three Two is Good for You.

Sure is when it comes to suit breaks. Certainly, when you find a suit, often the trump suit, breaks 4-1, it is usually a challenge while when it breaks 5-0, it is often a challenge too far, or optimistically, the chance for a top board. Did you need that challenge right now?

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South Deals
Both Vul

A K 10 7 2

J 7 6

A K Q 3

7

   

N

W

 

E

S

   
 

9 6 3

A K Q 10 8

2

K J 6 5

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

 

1 

Pass

1 ♠

Pass

2 ♣

Pass

2 

Pass

2 ♠

Pass

3 

Pass

4 ♣

Pass

4 NT

Pass

5 ♠

Pass

6 

All pass

 

West leads H2.

West leads Heart-small2. You win in hand as East follows low, play a diamond to the ace and a club to the jack and West’s queen. Back comes another trump and again East follows suit. Plan the play.

You had quite a slick bidding sequence. 2Diamond-small was game-forcing 4th suit forcing (did not have to be natural) and 3Heart-small set the trump suit. 4Club-small was a cue-bid (1st or 2nd round control) and key-card confirmed only one key-card was missing..and that South held Heart-smallQ too.

All that remained was to make the contract. Had the Club-smallJ at trick 2 drawn the ace, one club could be ruffed and another (along with a spade) discarded on high diamonds. Alas, your guessing was not inspired (maybe it could not be?) while West had done well to lead and continue trumps (not “well” for the declarer, though!).

So, South had to find a place for 3 losing clubs and a spade loser. They needed a little good fortune, if you call “normal breaks” as lucky! So, play low from dummy on the second round of trumps winning in hand with a high heart honour. It is vital you did that.

East followed with a second round of hearts (that’s good!). So, play a spade to the ace and cash Diamond-smallK (only one round for now) discarding your spade loser from hand.

Now Spade-smallK and both opponents followed (another 3-2 break: they do happen). It is suddenly getting a lot easier:

South Deals
Both Vul

A K 10 7 2

J 7 6

A K Q 3

7

J 5 4

9 3 2

8 5

A Q 10 4 3

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

Q 8

5 4

J 10 9 7 6 4

9 8 2

 

9 6 3

A K Q 10 8

2

K J 6 5

Even if East had the remaining spade, you could ruff high. Indeed, you must ruff high as you will draw West’s last trump as you play Heart-smallT to the Heart-smallJ in dummy.

Now you can play Diamond-smallQ (glad you did not play it earlier..too right! Not every suit breaks evenly!) discarding one club and then play your two high spades discarding two more clubs. Your remaining trump takes trick 13 and your slam has been made.

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“Three Two”: twice wishes came true!

 

Bid earlier, now or not at all

     

West Deals
E-W Vul

 

N

W

 

E

S

   
 

J 9 8 7 5

K Q 10 5 4 2

10 6

 

West

North

East

South

1 ♣

Pass

1 

Pass

2 ♣

Pass

Pass

?

 

Imp scoring. Natural bidding. Would you have bid 1Spade-small over 1Heart-small? If not, would you take a bid now: if so, what?

Richard Solomon

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