27th February – Board 5: North/south
Game. Dealer North.
I love this hand because it
demonstrates both good bidding and good play and although I don’t know any of
the North/South results I would be happy to receive details.
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North:
S A 9 6 3
H A 9 8
D A Q 9 5 3
C A
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West:
S K 5
H 7 6 4
D 10 2
C J 10 9 7 6 3
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East:
S Q 10 8 7
H Q 5 3 2
D 8 6
C 8 5 4
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South:
S J 4 2
H K J 10
D K J 7 4
C K Q 2
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West
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North
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East
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South
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1D
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No
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3NT
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No
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6D
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End
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The
bidding perhaps deserves some explanation. Over 1C/D a bid of 3NT should be
reserved for a hand in the range 13-15 points with specifically four trumps and
3-3-3 in the remaining suits. Wonderful when it comes up, which it does from
time to time! Here North, with all suits controlled, bids a practical 6D and
indeed it would be hard to construct a hand for partner where 6D did not stand
a reasonable chance. Here the contract is lay down. Assume the defence start
with a trump. Declarer wins, cashes the ace of clubs and draws any remaining
trumps ending in dummy. He then cashes the two club winners pitching spades
from hand and then plays ace and another spade. Whoever wins is end played,
having either to give a ruff and discard or open up the heart suit.
"Either to give a ruff and discard or open up the heart suit"??? I'm afraid dummy still has a spade. So it will be only a ruff, without the discard. The heart finesse has to be taken, one way or the other...
ReplyDeleteNick M
Gosh you are right! I must be getting old. But curiously the recommended line is still the correct one. If the hand on declarer's right has a doubleton spade honour - as here - then he will indeed be end played, taking away the necessity of finding the queen of hearts. Notice too that if the hand to declarer's left has a doubleton spade honour he must pitch it under the ace to stop himself from being end played. But I am sorry for my original mis-analysis.
DeleteYou asked for N/S results: S responded 2D (good support with 10+pts) to N's opening 1D. N now bid 3H, clearly slam interest. S bid 4C, N 4S, and now S, unable to use RKCB because the suit was diamonds and being at least a king better than his initial response, punted 6D. A heart lead meant 12 tricks on top.
ReplyDelete