Gallant Effort

24th March – Board 10: Game All. Dealer East.

Would you bid on that North hand after your partner has passed and the hand on your right has opened with 1H? It’s a close call especially as game is unlikely opposite a passed partner but if you are going to bid then 1NT must be the best of a bad lot. True the heart stop is a little fanciful but the rest of the hand shapes up well. Anyway 1NT was the bid chosen at the table where I watched and partner raised to game and the queen of clubs was led. But how would you proceed from there?

West	North	East	South
		No	No
1H	1NT	No	3NT
End

Declarer won in hand and led a spade to table and boldly led – the Jack of hearts! I really have to admire this gallant effort as with another layout E/W might well have tangled the heart suit or in any event be misdirected from the correct defence. Tragically from declarer’s point of view West knew how to deal with this sudden change in fortune (thank you partner!) and cashed out for two down but the sad truth is that North could have made his contract. If he just cashes his tricks in the black suits West comes under pressure. He cannot afford to let a diamond go so has to discard two hearts. But then declarer can cash the king and queen of diamonds, noting the fall of the ten from East, and simply exit with a heart. Poor West can win four tricks in that suit but then has to lead a diamond away from his jack up to the A9 holding in dummy.