Chance To Shine

16th January – Board 19: East/West Game. Dealer South.

A truly textbook hand for a change, giving one person at the table a real chance to shine.

	North: S A Q 9 3 H A J 7 5 2 D K C A 10 9
West: S K 2 H 4 3 D A Q 10 7 C J 8 6 4 3		East: S 10 7 5 H 9 8 6 D J 9 6 4 2 C Q 7
	South: S J 8 6 4 H K Q 10 D 8 5 3 C K 5 2

West	North	East	South
			No
No	1H	No	1S
No	3S	No	4S
End

There is nothing complicated in the bidding and 4S should be routinely bid but how should the play go on a low club lead, say? South will win and lead a low spade to the queen and East should play – the seven! Perhaps it’s not easy to see why but it might cause declarer to think that East started with 10 7 doubleton and as a consequence return to hand with a heart and lead the jack of spades in an effort to smother the supposed now singleton ten in the East hand. Of course that won’t work and the consequence is that East’s ten will be promoted into a trick. Left to his own devices declarer might play West for a doubleton king rather than East for a doubleton ten. Clear? If declarer does not lose a spade trick he will make twelve tricks but should only make eleven if the contract is in hearts. Proving yet again that a 4-4 fit is superior to a 5-3 one.