Hand of the week, week commencing, Sunday 27th July 2025

Playing imps scoring plan your play in 3NT after ♣6 is led

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Dealer: South Vuln: E/W

When yours truly played this hand his card play was totally awful. Supposedly, even experts make mistakes sometimes.

After holding up the first trick and winning the second trick he tried Spades. When West won the spade he was able to cash 4 more clubs and take the contract 1 down.

Let's now replay.

Hold up the first trick just in case West has led from a 6 card suit and you can cut communications between EW (highly unlikely).

An initial count of winners gives you just 4 i.e. three aces and a King.

You will therefore need to generate 5 more.

What is the danger here? The opponents getting in with the Clubs which they can do, if you play a spade. Even if you play a spade there would not be enough extra tricks.

The only sure way to generate these five extra tricks is to rely on the Diamond finesse.

After winning the the second trick go over to dummy with the Heart Ace and now play the ♦Q and let it run.

The finesse is successful and you now cash all your winners.

You make 2 Hearts, 6 Diamonds and 1 club.

(Playing imps scoring don't risk the Heart finesse which would have worked.)