Find The Lady

27th October – Board 23. Game All. Dealer South.

Counting points is all very well but recognizing a hand for what it is really worth is so much better.

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

West	North	East	South
			No
1H	No	2H	No
3C	No	4H	End

West ‘s hand may only have fourteen points but it is a five-loser hand nevertheless and is certainly worth a game try via a trial bid of 3C. East could hardly be more maximum, with a good club holding to boot, and should have no trouble in bidding the game.

The play of the hand is not without interest because on the likely spade lead and continuation declarer will play ace and another heart, leaving South on lead to presumably lead a safe third round of spades. Now declarer should play a diamond and hope that South holds the ace!!!! Why is that? Well having passed as dealer and already owning up to seven points in the majors he can hardly hold both the ace of diamonds and the queen of clubs – the one card declarer is desperate to find. As it happens North turns up with the diamond ace so declarer has to find the lady all by himself. (As a matter of fact noting that North did not overcall in diamonds, which he might well have done with a six card suit he is more likely to hols four clubs to South’s two and therefore twice as likely to hold the queen.) C’est la vie.