Hand of the week

Hand of the week, week commencing, Sunday 2nd July 2023

Plan your play in 3NT after ♠6 has been led.

If you would like to play this hand out then click here

Dealer: East Vuln: All

♠	A K 4
♥	A 10 7 6 4 3
♦	A
♣	Q J 7

♠	J 10 7 6 2
♥	Q 9 8
♦	10
♣	K 6 4 3

	N
W		E
W		E
	S

♠	9 8 5
♥	K J 2
♦	K J 7 5 4
♣	10 9

♠	Q 3
♥	5
♦	Q 9 8 6 3 2
♣	A 8 5 2

W	N	E	S
		Pass	Pass
Pass	1♥	Pass	1NT
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
End

Surprisingly and very luckily North didn't rebid his Hearts and NS got to 3NT instead of 4♥ which might go one down on a Diamond lead

The secret of this hand is which long red suit do you go after to establish extra winner?

Going after Diamonds is hard work and even it the diamonds were established you do not have the entries back to hand.

However if you go after Hearts and they break 3:3 you will have enough entries to get to dummy.

With this in mind, win the first trick in hand retaining the two top spades as entries to that Heart suit when it behaves. Now play a Heart ducking in dummy. They play another Spade and you win in dummy and play off Ace and another Heart delighted to see the Hearts breaking 3:3. West wins and plays yet another Spade. You win in dummy. You now cash your Diamond Ace and play the Club Queen tempting East to cover. East doesn't cover so win with the Ace just in case West had thrown all his clubs. You have now made your contract. West wins the last two tricks with the remaining top Spade and Club king.

You made 3 Spades, 1 Heart, 3 established Hearts and 2 Minor suit Aces losing just 2 Hearts, 1 Spade and 1 Club.

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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