Textbook Triumph

14th July – Board 9: East/West Game. Dealer North.

Sometimes a hand comes along that could be taken directly from any bridge textbook and the featured hand is a case in point. I wonder whether any of the players on Thursday found it?

West	North	East	South
	No	No	No
2D	No	2H	No
2NT	No	3NT	End

I hope no players opened that West hand 2NT! It is too good by miles. With three tens, a nine and a five-card suit it must be worth upgrading to 2D, or 2C if you are not playing Benji. I think it is right to rebid 2NT though because if you rebid 3D partner could – would – be stuck in finding the only making game of 3NT. (After 2NT I would actually bid 3C on that East hand in an effort to find a 5-3 spade fit, but it’s close.) North will probably lead a low spade and declarer should see that the contract is safe as long as he can make four diamond tricks. In such situations always expect the worst, and while just banging out the two top diamonds would bring home the bacon it is not the right thing to do. As long as diamonds are no worse than 4-1 the game is secure. Win the first spade in hand and cash the ace of diamonds. Then lead low towards the jack. If North started with a four-card suit he is restricted to just making the queen, while if he shows out on the second diamond declarer plays the jack from dummy losing to the queen in the South hand. But now he can win the spade return in dummy and take a marked diamond finesse against the ten. As usual virtue would have to be its own reward.