| North | ||
| ♠ A Q J | ||
| ♥ 4 3 2 | ||
| ♦ A 8 4 3 | ||
| ♣ 7 6 5 | ||
| South | ||
| ♠ K 10 9 8 | ||
| ♥ A K Q 5 | ||
| ♦ Q J | ||
| ♣ Q 9 4 |
The opponents are getting tired of defending so many 3NT hands, but here comes another after 1NT-3NT.
West leads a low club from K10xx and the opponents cash the first four club tricks, East discarding a low spade on the fourth club, dummy a low heart. And you, what do you discard on the fourth club?
If you discard a heart, you are giving up on 3-3 hearts (36%) but if you discard a diamond, you are giving up on the diamond finesse (50%). Discard a heart. Also, if East had the ♦K, he might have discarded an encouraging diamond. Negative inferences go a long way in this game.
| ♠ A Q J | ||
| ♥ 4 3 2 | ||
| ♦ A 8 4 3 | ||
| ♣ 7 6 5 | ||
| ♠ 5 4 3 | ♠ 7 6 2 | |
| ♥ J 7 | ♥ 10 9 8 6 | |
| ♦ K 6 5 2 | ♦ 10 9 7 | |
| ♣ K 10 8 2 | ♣ A J 3 | |
| ♠ K 10 9 8 | ||
| ♥ A K Q 5 | ||
| ♦ Q J | ||
| ♣ Q 9 4 |
See the diamonds in your hand? Harold Harkavy, a wonderful bridge player of yesteryear supported himself by playing professionally. He frequently found himself in some bizarre 3NT contracts because his partners were not allowed to bid notrump. On one of those, this was his diamond stopper — only his contract was 4NT!
| North | ||
| ♦ Q J | ||
| West | East | |
| ♦ A 10 8 3 | ♦ K 6 5 4 | |
| South (Harold) | ||
| ♦ 9 7 2 |
Harold had to knock out an ace and knew the opponents would switch to diamonds so he decided to feign strength in diamonds by leading the ♦Q from dummy with great confidence. It held the trick! Undaunted, he led the jack and that held the trick as well! Now it was safe to let the opponents in and Harold made yet another impossible 3NT contract. After the hand, he apologized to his partner: “Partner, if I only had the ♦10 I could have run the entire suit!”