Answer to Hand of the week commencing Sunday 25th January 2009      

 

 

 

North Dealer

ª

 K 10 4

 

 

 

Neither Vulnerable

©

 A 4

 

 

 

 

¨

 10 9 8 6

 

 

 

 

§

 K 9 5 3

 

 

 

 

 

N

 

 

ª

 8 5 3

 

 

ª

 J 9 6 2

©

 K J 9 7 2

 

W                          E

©

 Q 8

¨

 K 5

 

 

¨

 7 3 2

§

 J 8 2

 

 

§

 Q 10 6 4

 

 

 

S

 

 

 

 

ª

 A Q 7

 

 

 

Lead ©7

©

 10 6 5 3

 

 

 

 

¨

 A Q J 4

 

 

 

 

§

 A 7

 

 

                           

W

N

E

S

 

 

 

1¨

NO

3¨

NO

3NT

NO

NO

NO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plan your play in 3NT

 

This hand comes from a wonderful new bridge book “52 great Bridge Tips on Declarer Play “ by David Bird, an absolute must have book for those wishing to improve their declarer play. The hand in question comes from “Tip 29 – Win the first round to block defender’s suit” Your first thoughts might be to duck the first trick but if you do that East wins, clears the Heart suit and when the Diamond finesse fails you go one down. On more careful reflection the lead shows that West has not led from a Sequence which therefore marks East with an honour (either honour Doubleton or Honour trebleton) If  East has an honour doubleton you can block the suit by playing the Ace at trick one and if it is trebleton then the defence can never take more than 3 further Heart tricks. (East cannot afford to unblock the Queen at trick one as dummy’s heart 10 provides another stopper in the suit for declarer.

So if you go up with the Ace of Hearts at trick one your contract is guaranteed. You will make 3 Spades, 1 Heart, 3 Diamonds and 2 Clubs.

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