Hand of the week commencing
Sunday 27th July 2008
|
|
East
Dealer |
ª |
6
4 3
|
|
|
|
|
Both
Vulnerable |
© |
Q
J 7 4 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
¨ |
8
6 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
§ |
K
J |
|
|
|
|
|
|
N |
|
|
|
ª |
A
10 8 7
|
|
|
ª |
J
9 5 |
|
© |
K
3 |
|
W
E |
© |
10
9 8 |
|
¨ |
A
9 3 2 |
|
|
¨ |
K
10 7 4 |
|
§ |
Q
10 3 |
|
|
§ |
9
6 4 |
|
|
|
|
S |
|
|
|
|
Lead
ª7 |
ª |
K
Q 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
© |
A
6 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
¨ |
Q
J |
|
|
|
|
|
§ |
A
8 7 5 2 |
|
|
|
W |
N |
E |
S |
|
|
|
|
NO |
1NT*
* Strong No Trump 15-17 |
|
|
NO |
2¨** |
NO |
2©
** transfer to Hearts |
|
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Plan
your play in 2©.
An initial count of your
winners comes to just three – 1 heart and 2 Clubs.
As long as the Trumps
divide 32 (68%) then you will establish 3 more Heart tricks . The Spade lead
gives you one more so you will need to conjure up one further trick. It could
come from a successful Club finesse or from ruffing a Diamond in the short hand,
or a finesse up to your remaining Spade Queen . Risking the Club finesse might
result in creating a loser that you did not have in the first place. The lead is
also a bit suspicious and it seems that West may have reluctantly
led away from the Spade Ace. In order to maximize your chances of the
eighth trick if you play Diamonds immediately you can obtain a Diamond ruff
while there are still the original three trumps in hand with the club finesse to
fall back on if need be.
After winning the first
trick, you should play a Diamond first. If East gets in and continues with
trumps, you go up with the Ace and play another Diamond. As the cards lie West
will play the trump King and cannot take the last trump from your hand. Whatever
he plays back you win and ruff a Diamond in the closed hand
before entering dummy with a
club to draw the last trump. You will obtain 1 Spade, 4 trumps, 1 Diamond ruffed
in the short hand and 2 clubs.