questionofweek

Hand of the week

Hand of the week, week commencing, Sunday 21st September 2025

Plan you play in 6♠ after West leads ♦Ace followed by ♦Queen

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

Dealer: East Vuln: None

♠	A 6 5 3
♥	J 10 7 4
♦	10
♣	A K J 9

♠	K 8
♥	-
♦	A Q J 9 6 2
♣	Q 10 7 5 3

	N
W		E
W		E
	S

♠	7
♥	Q 9 3 2
♦	K 8 7 5
♣	8 6 4 2

♠	Q J 10 9 4 2
♥	A K 8 6 5
♦	4 3
♣	-

W	N	E	S
		Pass	1♠
2NT¹	4♠	5♣	6♠
End

1. Unusual No trump promising both Minors here at least 5:5 or better

After a somewhat distributional bidding sequence you end up in 6♠ and two top Diamonds are led.

Obviously, you will ruff the second Diamond and take stock.

Initially you only have 5 winners :- 1 spade, 2 Hearts and 2 Clubs

Having lost one trick already, you will have to hope the Spade finesse works and this will bring your total up to 10,

If something good happens in Hearts that will bring the total to 11 and if you ruff a Heart in dummy, the short hand this will bring the total to 12 and you will make your contract.

With this in mind, after winning the second trick you need to get back to hand to finesse Spades. You ruff a club to get back to hand Now successfully finesse the Spade before drawing the last trump.

Now cash a top Heart to see the lie of the land there. The suit breaks 4:0 but you can finesse East for the missing Queen.

Enter dummy with the ♠6. Cash the two top clubs chucking 2 hearts and then take the marked Heart finesse and you have now chalked up 12 tricks.

You made 5 trump tricks, 2 Club tricks, 1 Club ruffed (to get back to hand) 3 heart tricks, and 1 diamond ruffed

( 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

if you would like to comment on this page or say you like it you may do so now :-

HTML Comment Box is loading comments...