Hand of the week

Hand of the week, week commencing, Sunday 30th January 2022

Plan your defence as East, after partner leads ♦8

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

Dealer: East Vuln: N/S

♠	8 7 5
♥	A 8 7 6 4
♦	Q 9 4
♣	J 10

♠	Q 10 6 4 2
♥	K 9
♦	8
♣	K Q 9 5 2

	N
W		E
W		E
	S

♠	A 9 3
♥	5 2
♦	A 10 7 5 3 2
♣	8 6

♠	K J
♥	Q J 10 3
♦	K J 6
♣	A 7 4 3

W	N	E	S
		2♦	2NT
Pass	3♦	Pass	3♥
End

It looks like the lead might be a singleton so at trick two you will need to give partner a ruff and at the same time tell her where your entry is so she can get back to your hand.

With this in mind play back the ♦10 back as a suit preference signal to play back a Spade to your Ace.

Partner, as expected, ruffs and dutifully plays a Spade back to your Ace. You now give partner another Diamond for a second ruff.

Partner will still make a Club trick after switching the the ♣K at trick 5, and you have taken 5 defensive tricks and defeated the contract by one.

Perhaps declarer should have dropped the ♦ Jack at trick 1 to put East off leading a second Diamond but East was not having any of that was she?

Any other defence and declarer could make up to 10 tricks.

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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