ANSofhandofweek

Hand of the week

Hand of the week, week commencing, Sunday 31st 2026

Playing MP Pairs where every overtrick is vital, plan your play in ♠4 after the ♣2 is led.

If you wish to play this out click here

♠	A 9 7 3
♥	A K Q 7 3
♦	A 7 3
♣	8

♠	K
♥	8 6 5 2
♦	J 10 9 6
♣	K 7 6 2

	N
W		E
W		E
	S

♠	Q 8 5
♥	9 4
♦	K 8 5 4
♣	Q 10 9 3

♠	J 10 6 4 2
♥	J 10
♦	Q 2
♣	A J 5 4

W	N	E	S
		Pass	Pass
Pass	1♥	Pass	1♠
Pass	4♠	End

Having escaped a Diamond lead, can you now muster up 12 tricks?

Let's play for split Honours in trumps and finesse their KQ. Play the ♠Jack from hand and see what happens. The ♠king falls, so now you can draw another round of trumps to get rid of their Queen since you still have control of the other suits. East wins, and plays a second Club which you can ruff in dummy. Now draw the last trump and play off all your winning Hearts making sure you overtake the second Heart in dummy (pleased to see the suit breaking 4:2 rather than 5:1) and now you can dump your Diamond loser on the winning Heart.

You eventually made 4 trumps (losing just the Queen), I Diamond, 1 Club, 5 Hearts, and 1 club ruffed in the short hand.

watch the film of the hand being played out by going to www.haroldschogger.com/movies2.htm