Hand of the week

Hand of the week, week commencing, Sunday 14th May 2023

Plan your play in 4♠ after the ♥10 is led

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

Dealer: North Vuln: N/S

♠	K J 4
♥	A Q 6 3
♦	A 10 8
♣	7 6 2

♠	8 3 2
♥	10 9 8
♦	K J 6
♣	K J 10 5

	N
W		E
W		E
	S

♠	6
♥	K J 7 5 2
♦	Q 9 4 3 2
♣	Q 8

♠	A Q 10 9 7 5
♥	4
♦	7 5
♣	A 9 4 3

W	N	E	S
	1♣	Pass	1♠
Pass	1NT¹	Pass	4♠
End

1. NS playing strong No Trump so 1NT REBID now = 12-14

Lead ♥10 play your play in 4♠

This example hand comes from a new Master Points book "Improve Your Card Play- Step by Step-Playing Suit Contracts by Robert Berthe and Norbert Lebely a really worthwhile instructive book for players of all abilities and a great source of hands for teachers.

Initially you count 6 Spades, 1 Heart 1 Diamond and 1 Club winners so where is the 10th trick going to come from?

The authors clearly explain that if you take the Heart finesse at trick one you put all your eggs in the 50% finessing basket. Is there a 100% play? Yes.

After winning the first trick merely play a Ace and another club. When the opposition gets in a switches to a trump play yet another club which they win and reveal the clubs to be splitting 4:2. However, when they play yet a second trump you win in hand and can now ruff your last club in dummy, the short hand, with no fear of being overtrumped. Now its a matter of returning to hand and drawing the last trump.

Despite dummy not having a shortage you were still able to ruff a club there.

You made 6 trumps from your hand, the long hand, 3 Aces and 1 club ruffed.

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 )

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

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