Page 17 - ABF Newsletter August 2024

This was an interesting hand, played in a spade part- score.
]952 [KJ96 }KQJ5 {Q9
]43 ]AQJ876
break, there are four club tricks, two heart tricks (and they are breaking 4-4, given the [2 lead) and one spade trick. That means that you need the }A onside, but you also need to lead diamonds towards your hand twice.
Declarer erred by cashing the ace, king, queen and another club, leaving her in hand. She now had only one entry to dummy to lead diamonds. She had needed to lead diamonds earlier in the hand, whilst she still had club entries; use each club entry to lead diamonds towards hand twice. Then there are nine tricks.
A final comment: the clubs also provide a ready entry to the [A, which could become stranded otherwise.
And lastly, sitting East, you hold:
] A Q 8 6 [ K J 6 } Q 10 2 { A 9 3
1NT 2} 2[
3NT ?
Do you bid 4[ or do you pass 3NT? This is a hand on which most experts would pass 3NT, even with three-card heart support. The reason for this action is that there is no shortage, so no ability to trump in your hand. If partner has a 5-3-3-2, as seems likely, 3NT will usually play at least as well as, if not better than 4[. On the other hand, with }Q-2, you should correct to 4[ because you have ability to trump and the diamond suit may be hazardous for 3NT.
[ Q 3
} 8 6 4
{ K 10 8 7 6 2
] K 10 [7542 }A9732 {54
WEST NORTH EAST pass 1} 1] pass 2[ 2] pass pass 3]
[ A 10 8 } 10
{ A J 3
SOUTH double 3[
all pass
The hand was not played optimally, but is an inter- esting ‘play lesson’ hand, demonstrating what can be achieved by careful card play.
Two rounds of diamonds were led, declarer trump- ing the second round. Now you should lead the {J to dummy – starting to unblock the suit – so you can take the trump finesse. South wins the ]K and you win whatever they return. You can now draw trumps, cash your {A and, when the clubs prove to be 2-2, you can cross back to dummy with the {3 and dis- card your heart losers on all those club winners. Eleven tricks, but it’s about ensuring that the long suit is usable, which means you have to get
rid of the {J early.
North-South bid to a very pushy 3NT here:
]A854 [4 }8753 {AK65
]76 [AQ97 }KQ9 {Q943
South opened 1{, North responded 1], South rebid 1NT and North jumped to 3NT!
I considered leading the ]K, but North had bid spades, so I changed to the [2 for my opening lead. This ran around to declarer’s [Q, giving her a “free trick”. Assuming club
]KQ9 [KJ62 } 10 6 2 {J82
] J 10 3 2 [ 10 8 5 3 }AJ4
{ 10 7
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: August 2024
Page: 17