Hand of the week

Hand of the week, week commencing, Sunday 12th September 2021

Playing Match Point Pairs plan your play in 4♥ after spade led followed by ♥K with East following with the ♥10

If you would like to play this hand out then click here

Dealer: North Vuln: All

♠	5
♥	A J 8 7 2
♦	K 10 7 4 3
♣	Q 3

♠	10 8 3 2
♥	Q 4 3
♦	J 6 5
♣	K 9 7

	N
W		E
W		E
	S

♠	K J 7 4
♥	10
♦	9 2
♣	A J 10 8 4 2

♠	A Q 9 6
♥	K 9 6 5
♦	A Q 8
♣	6 5

W	N	E	S
	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	2♦	Pass	3♥
Pass	4♥	End

With dummy being very unbalanced the chances of the other suits breaking kindly were less likely. With East following suit with the ♥10 at trick two it very much looks like the Hearts are breaking badly i.e. 3:1 - also restricted choice states the chances of East starting with precisely Q10 is now less likely. With all this in mind, at trick three you now finesse Dummy's trump Jack and it holds. You now draw the last trump. All is going very well and you now embark on Diamonds. The Diamonds break kindly and you can now claim all 13 tricks. You have made 2 Spades,5 Hearts, and 5 Diamonds. and 1 Club ruffed having thrown away both your club losers on dummy's Diamonds. If initially, you don't guess the trump suit the opposition will probably get their 2 club tricks and 1 trump.

You can also play out the following hand to see how the hand pans out. (You need bridgvu.exe programme and it is available free from http://www.haroldschogger.com/movies.html )