Hand of the week, week commencing, Sunday  23rd February 2020

he ª7 is led plan your play in 3NT

            Dealer East  Both Vul.

                                    ♠          A 4

                                    ♥          A K 3

                                    ♦          K 9 8 3

                                    ♣         Q 9 7 4

            ♠          7 5                              ♠          K J 10 9 8

            ♥          J 10 8 5 4 2               ♥          Q 7

            ♦          5 4                              ♦          J 7 6 2

            ♣         10 5 2                         ♣         A 6

                                    ♠          Q 6 3 2

                                    ♥          9 6

                                    ♦          A Q 10

                                    ♣         K J 8 3

T

This is the easiest hand in a long time  and it is all about Open Hand.

The term Open Hand means that you can play the hand out as if you could see all 4 hands.

You have 12 points and your dummy has very nice 16 points totalling 28 and East made an Opening Bid so East has to have all the remaining points and more importantly the Key cards, Spade King, Club Ace and Heart Queen.

You let first trick go to East who plays back a second Spade winning in dummy with the Ace. Now force out the Club Ace. East wins and perseveres with more Spades. Now you can run for home cashing the Clubs first, seeing they are breaking 4:3 and then onto cashing two Hearts. Leave the Diamonds until last and hope the Diamonds break.

The Diamonds didn’t break and you eventually made 2 Spades, 2 Hearts 3 Diamonds and 3 clubs.

Had you finessed East for missing Diamond Jack you would have made 11.

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.videoes.html or BridgeBase programme on your machine already to view it )

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