2nd June – Board 8: Love All. Dealer West.
How things so often change from the moment we pick up our hand until the end of the deal, when unabated optimism is dampened by the coldness of reality! East was doubtless tickled pink at the sight of his hand but things soon took a nasty turn.
 |
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
No
|
No
|
2C
|
No
|
2D
|
No
|
3NT
|
End
|
I have given the auction for those who play 2C as the strong opener, but Benji pairs will open 2D and receive a negative of 2H. Nevertheless 3NT will be the rebid and everything depends upon the opening lead. Now I may be alone in my thinking but if I were sitting South I would do everything possible not to give away a trick on the opening lead. After all there is only going to be a maximum of five points between West and North and a club lead seems fraught with danger. So I would choose between a heart and a spade and while a heart lead might turn out to be ok, a spade lead would be disastrous. So what do I know? Fourth best works a treat and declarer does best to win the first club. Why? Because if he doesn’t and subsequently plays on spades – as he has to – then North will have no choice but to lead a diamond through East’s holding and the defence will take a spade, two diamonds and three clubs for two down. If East wins the first club North will almost certainly return that suit when he gains the lead and his partner will have to concede a diamond trick. As an aside the contracts ranged from 2NT-1 to 6NT-4. Funny old game.
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