| Dlr: West |
♠ A J 9 5 |
|
| Vul: E-W |
♥ 8 3 2 |
|
|
♦ A Q |
|
|
♣ Q 10 5 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
♠ K Q 10 8 7 |
|
|
♥ 9 5 |
|
|
♦ K J |
|
|
♣ A 8 7 2 |
|
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| 1♥ |
Dbl |
Pass |
4♠ |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
|
In a team game, you make the normal bid of 4♠ after partner doubles a 1♥ opener for takeout. West starts with the top three hearts. Plan the play.
Solution
The bidding was the same at both tables, and West at each table started with the top three hearts. Both declarers ruffed the third heart, played a spade to the ace and another to the ♠K in hand.
Thereafter, their paths diverged.
This first declarer correctly placed the ♣K with West, so he played the ♣A and another club. After West followed with the ♣3 and ♣9, this declarer played dummy’s queen because doing so would make the contract whenever clubs were 3-2. Alas, East threw a diamond on the third round of clubs, so West made two club tricks to defeat the contract.
At the other table, the declarer found the 100% line to make his contract as long as West, as expected, held the ♣K.
After drawing trumps, which divided 2-2, declarer continued by cashing the ♦A and ♦K.
He then led a low club from hand. When West followed with the 3, declarer played dummy’s ♣Q. When it held, he returned to hand with a trump to lead a second low club. West played the ♣J but was then endplayed, forced to concede a ruff-and-discard or to lead away from his ♣K. No matter which option West chose, declarer would have 10 tricks, as he would have done even had West held a singleton club king or East a singleton ♣J. The full deal:
| Dlr: South |
♠ A J 9 5 |
|
| Vul: E-W |
♥ 8 3 2 |
|
|
♦ A Q |
|
|
♣ Q 10 5 4 |
|
| ♠ 6 2 |
|
♠ 4 3 |
| ♥ A K Q 10 6 |
|
♥ J 7 4 |
| ♦ 8 5 |
|
♦ 10 9 7 6 4 3 2 |
| ♣ K J 9 3 |
|
♣ 6 |
|
♠ K Q 10 8 7 |
|
|
♥ 9 5 |
|
|
♦ K J |
|
|
♣ A 8 7 2 |
|
