Hand of the Fortnight

Number 3

 

Theme: Early elimination of a loser

Dealer: North                                                               Vulnerability: E/W

The bidding has gone:                    N            E            S            W

                                                            1D            /            1S            /

                                                            2S            /            4S            /                                                                                                                                  /          //

Opening lead: HK.                 The 4 hands are:

                                                            N        

                                                S:    J 8 7 2

                                                H:    9 6 2

                                                D:   A Q 9 3  

                                                C:   A Q

                        W                                                                    E

            S:    Q                                                              S:   K 9 5 3

            H:   K Q J 5 3                                                            H:   8 4

            D:   T 4                                                          D:   J 8 6 5

            C:   J T 8 5 2                                                 C:   9 7 6

                                                            S

                                                S:    A T 6 4

                                                H:    A T 7

                                                D:   K 7 2

                                                C:    K 4 3

 

Planning the play (as declarer):

1)            “Touching honours” means that the opening HK lead suggests the HQ should be in West’s hand.

This means when E/W get the lead, you could lose 2 Heart tricks.

2)         How can you avoid this?

If someone told you: “Always clear trumps first” (not me!), you should see that this will soon lead to the loss of 2 Heart tricks and 2 or 1 Spade tricks.

Instead play 2 rounds of Clubs using CA then CQ in Dummy.

Now use a Diamond to get to your hand (South) to next play the CK.

On the 3rd round of Clubs discard a Heart loser.

3)         Now you can afford to lose 1 Heart trick plus possibly 2 trump tricks.

 

Extra Points (intended for Intermediate players):

1)        Usually you would not use this method if your 2 hands combined had 7+ of the suit

due to the significant risk of being ruffed by an opponent.

Hand of the Fortnight - Number 1 was treated differently because of the Club suit length as

well as trump quality, wanting the lead on your left (the safer side) and needing to discard

from the 4th suit.

 

2)         The opponents’ silence tells you nothing about their distribution.

The bidding could start                1D            /            1S            2S

            West is using ‘Michael’s Cue Bids” and should have 5 Hearts + 5 of a Minor suit and 7-11 HCP.

            This doesn’t stop you from bidding 4S. It helps you here! Expect most leftover Spades to be

in East’s hand. Finesse East TWICE not only for the SK but that pesky S9 (by leading S8)!

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