Hand of the week

Plan you play after the ♦Jack is led

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Dealer: South Vuln: None

♠	K Q J 9 4 3
♥	A
♦	A K 8 5
♣	K 4

♠	10 8
♥	Q 6 5 2
♦	J 10 9 4
♣	8 6 3

	N
W		E
W		E
	S

♠	7 6 5 2
♥	J 7
♦	7 3 2
♣	A 7 5 2

♠	A
♥	K 10 9 8 4 3
♦	Q 6
♣	Q J 10 9

W	N	E	S
			1♥
Pass	1♠	Pass	2♥
Pass	3♦	Pass	3NT
Pass	6NT	End

On this hand there appears to be plenty of winners between the two hands. However unfurling them is another matter.

Initially, without doing any work at all you have 4 Spades, 2 Hearts, 3 Diamonds brining the total to 9 and once you force out their Club Ace you will have established 3 more clubs for your contract. So what could the problem be?

You have the spade ace blocking the spade suit and the Heart Ace blocking that suit so those card need to be unblocked early and also the Club King maybe.

Win the first trick in hand. Now play the Club Queen to force out the Ace- it seems that you are now blocking the suit but you need an extra entry to dummy assuming the opposition takes the Ace. If they do not then maybe you could make 13 tricks if the Spade Ten comes down or the suit breaks nicely.

As expected East wins the Ace and plays a second diamond. Now you are in the driving seat. You now cash the Club King before coming back to hand with a top spade. Cash the two winning clubs before entering dummy with the Heart Ace. You now cash the spades and you bring home 12 tricks by way of 3 Clubs, 3 Diamonds 1 Heart (only) and 5 Spades

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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