questionofweek

Hand of the week

Hand of the week, week commencing, Sunday 11th May 2025

Plan you play in 2NT after the ♣3 is led

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Dealer: South Vuln: All

♠	9 5 2
♥	A 8 7 3
♦	A J 4 2
♣	10 2

♠	Q 6 3
♥	K Q
♦	10 8 5 3
♣	J 8 6 3

	N
W		E
W		E
	S

♠	J 8 7 4
♥	J 6 5 4
♦	Q
♣	A 9 7 5

♠	A K 10
♥	10 9 2
♦	K 9 7 6
♣	K Q 4

W	N	E	S
			1NT¹
Pass	2♣²	Pass	2♦³
Pass	2NT	End

1. 15-17 2. Stayman 3. No 4 card Major

When this hand was played by my inexperienced partner, the contract went one down, when in fact it can make with an overtrick.

At trick one, it is a no cost play to try dummy's Ten, and hope the lead player has led from the Jack or A J even

Declarer did this but then proceeded to mess up the Diamond play.

Of course, you may need to do a Diamond finesse, but there is no need to put all your eggs in an immediate finesse of dummy's Jack.

After winning the first trick, make sure you keep the AJ of Diamonds tenace intact and play off the King first (just in case East had a singleton Queen from the start). East in a hopeless situation releases the Queen

Now you can win and assume West has 1085 left. Play the ♦9 and finesse West's remaining ♦10. Now re-enter hand with a top spade to finesse West's last Diamonds.

With this careful play you will make all four diamonds, plus 2 Spades, 1 Heart and 2 clubs for a nice overtrick and +2 Imps.

( you can play these hands out using bridgevu.exe and it is available free from http://www.haroldschogger.com/movies.html ) Click on the lin picture above

alternatively watch the film of the hand being played out by going to www.haroldschogger.com/movies2.htm

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