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ª K Q J
10 4
© A K 9 2
¨ 7 3
§ A Q
ª 7
ª 8 6 5 3
© Q 8 6 3
© 10
¨ K J 9 4
¨ 8 6 5 2
§ K 10 6
2
§ J 8 5 4
ª A 9 2
© J 7 5 4
¨ A Q 10
§ 9 7 3
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South
West
North
East
1NT
Pass
2§
Pass
2©
Pass
4NT
End
South, a
tall overweight Hampton resident,
decided to open a weak NT.
In favour of the bid are the two aces and a supported
ten. Against is
the flat distribution and poor four card suit. Sometimes it
works out.
But when
North bid 4NT he chickened out.
I agree with Zia that 4NT should almost always be
Blackwood, certainly in this sequence although many good
players treat it as quantitative.
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West, having heard
the bidding, led
ª7.
Winning in dummy, declarer led
©A dropping East’s
©10. The
passive lead gave a lot of clues.
In effect West was defending against 6NT and it is usual not
to make a risky lead in that situation.
So West might easily have
¨K and
§K. A
heart lead would not be attractive on the bidding so nothing in
particular could be deduced there.
Declarer then played
ªQ to
ªA, keeping
ª9 as a possible entry for use later if required.
West discarded
¨4 and now the indications were loud and clear.
Leading a singleton is a good way of killing partner’s minor
honours so was clearly the only “safe” lead.
©J was covered by
©Q and
©K, East discarding
¨2. There
was room in East’s hand for
¨J so declarer finessed
¨10, losing to West’s
¨J. West
returned
§2 to dummy’s
§Q. The
layout was now becoming virtually double dummy and declarer ran the
spades.
Before the last
spade was cashed this was the position:
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ª 4
© 9 2
¨ 7
§ A
ª --
ª --
© 8 6
© --
¨ K 9
¨ 8 6
§ K
§ J 5 4
ª --
© 7
¨ A Q
§ 9 7
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§A was played to clarify the ending and then
ª4, discarding
§9.
West discarded
¨9 smoothly but the damage had been done.
Declarer played
¨7 to
¨A dropping
¨K for the twelfth trick.
With
¨J 9 x x West would have led a diamond
initially rather than the risky singleton.
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