Page 23 - ABF Newsletter December 2024

IMPROVE YOUR DEFENCE
with Ron Klinger
Solution to problem on page 2
OUT FOR THE COUNT
Teams, dealer West, both sides vulnerable
]K52
[ A J 10 6 4 }87 {754
N ] 10 4 WE[K87
come to a spade, a heart and a club, but that is all. If partner has 3 points, declarer will always succeed.
What about 4 points with partner? If partner has the }A, a diamond switch can immediately collect two tricks there to take 4[ down. If partner has the }Q and the ]Q, a diamond now will set up a diamond trick and as long as West’s spades are as good as Q-9-8 or longer, you will be able to come to a di- amond and a spade. It is imperative to switch to a diamond at trick four.
This was the full deal: ]K52
[ A J 10 6 4 }87 {754
WEST NORTH pass pass pass 2} 2 pass 2NT 3 pass 4[
1. 15-18 points.
2. Transfer to hearts. 3. Inviting game.
4. Not forcing.
pass all pass
3[ 4
After {3 to the ace and the {2 return, won by the {J, and the [2: nine - jack - king, East erred by play- ing a third club. South won, drew trumps and ran the spades, ditching a diamond loser from dummy. Making 4[, North-South +620. As you can see, a diamond switch at trick 4 would have defeated 4[.
S }KJ93 {AQ82
EAST SOUTH 1} 1NT1 pass 2[
} A 10 6 4 { 10 6 3
]AQJ9 [Q52 }Q52 {KJ9
West leads the {3: four - ace - nine. East returns the {2: jack - six - five. South plays the [2: nine - jack - king. What do you play next as East?
The deal comes from the final of the 2022 Australian Gold Coast Open Teams.
What is the first thing you do after you see the open- ing lead and dummy?
Count the high cards points in dummy, add those in your own hand and estimate how many HCP declar- er has. Deduct the total from 40 and that gives you a good idea of how many points partner can hold.
East has 13 points, dummy has 8, total 21. Declarer’s 1NT was 15-18, but from South’s rejection (3!) of the game invitation, you can place South with 15-16 points, total 36-37.
That leaves 3-4 points for partner. Where can those points be?
You already know partner has no king. Three are vis- ible and as the {J won trick two, South has the {K. If partner has a queen and a jack, that will be of no use to you. The [Q with partner will fall under the [A. If partner has ]Q-J-x or longer, the defence might
At the other table, it went:
]8763
[93 [K87
WEST
pass
1] 2
NORTH EAST pass 1{
2[ all pass
SOUTH dbl 1
1. A 1NT overcall is preferable if the hand fits 1NT.
2. 4+ spades, 2-6 points.
East led the ]10, won by the ]Q. The [2 to the [J lost to the king. East continued spades and declarer also made ten tricks, +170 but -10 Imps. Notice that both Souths began trumps with a low heart, not the [Q. On this layout it made no difference but leading the [Q would lose a trump trick if the heart layout was like this:
[ A J 10 6 4
[K [9873
[Q52
If South leads a low heart, there is no heart loser. Lead the [Q: king - ace - three and East comes to a heart trick. Leading the [Q would be recommended if South had no outside entry to repeat the heart finesse. Leading the [Q would not do any harm if West began with K-x or K-x-x or K-x-x-x.
] 10 4 }KJ93
{AQ82
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: December 2024
Page 23