Test Your Play

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1. IMPs

Dlr:
South
Vul:
E-W
North
♠ A 4 3
♥ 7 4 2
♦ Q J 10 4
♣ J 6 5
South
♠ K J 9 6 2
♥ A K 10
♦ A 9 8 3 2
♣ —
WEst North East South
1♠
Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠
All Pass

West leads the ♣K.

Part 1: You ruff, lead a spade to the ace and run the ♦Q. Do you agree with declarer’s line so far? If not, what would you have done?

Part 2: You should have agreed. The finesse loses (you knew that) and back comes a club. Plan the play from here.

CLICK HERE FOR SOLUTION
Dlr:
South
Vul:
Both
North
♠ A 4 3
♥ 7 4 2
♦ Q J 10 4
♣ J 6 5
West
♠ Q 10 8 7
♥ J 6 5
♦ K 7
♣ K Q 10 7
East
♠ 5
♥ Q 9 8 3
♦ 6 5
♣ A 9 8 4 3 2
South
♠ K J 9 6 2
♥ A K 10
♦ A 9 8 3 2
♣ —

You can just about claim. Ruff the club and persist with diamonds until someone ruffs. At this point there will be two spades outstanding.

If a third club is played, ruff with the ♠J, cash the ♠K and more diamonds. Eventually you can discard a heart from dummy on the fifth diamond. Your losses will include two
spade tricks (if spades were 4–1) and the ♦K. By drawing only one round of trumps and continually playing diamonds, you have catered to 4–1 spades, kept control of the hand, and avoided losing a heart trick.

One trap to avoid is playing the ♠K A before leading the ♦Q. If you run into 4–1 spades with the ♦K offside, another club force does you in.

2. Rubber

Dlr:
North
Vul:
Both
North
♠ K 9
♥ K J 10 8 3 2
♦ 9 8 5
♣ 8 3
South
♠ A 8 4
♥ Q
♦ A K 6
♣ A K 10 7 5 2
WEst North East South
2♥ Pass 3NT(1)
All Pass

(1) Hand hog supreme.

Opening lead ♠5. Plan the play.

CLICK HERE FOR SOLUTION
Dlr:
South
Vul:
Both
North
♠ K 9
♥ K J 10 8 3 2
♦ 9 8 5
♣ 8 3
West
♠ Q 10 6 5 3
♥ A 9 7 5
♦ 10 3 2
♣ J
East
♠ J 7 2
♥ 6 4
♦ Q J 7 4
♣ Q 9 6 4
South
♠ A 8 4
♥ Q
♦ A K 6
♣ A K 10 7 5 2

Win the ♠A and plunk down the ♣A. Unless West plays the 9, jack or queen, plunk down the ♣K. If clubs are 3–2, concede a club, if necessary, and you have nine tricks. If someone shows out on the second club, abandon clubs and play for five heart tricks by overtaking the ♥Q and driving out the ♥A.

If the ♣9, jack or queen falls from West at trick two, rather than plunking down the ♣K, lead the ♥Q overtaking if West plays low. If the king wins, lead a club toward your hand, and unless East shows out (not gonna happen), you have a lock for five club tricks by covering whatever club East plays.

When you lead the ♥Q to the king, say East wins and returns a spade, try to run the hearts. If they don’t run, you are still alive for nine tricks if West’s singleton club was an honor by leading a club from dummy and finessing the 10 (if you believe that West started with seven or more major-suit cards. If you believe he had fewer, play for the drop).