17 Aggressive bidding and delica

17 Aggressive bidding and delicate play

ª K Q 4 2

¨ 6 2

§ A 8 4

ª J 10 3 ª A 8 6 5

¨ K Q J 8 3 ¨ A 10 9 5

§ K 6 5 § Q 10 2

ª 9 7

¨ 7 4

§ J 9 7 3

Board 28 : Dealer West : NS vulnerable. IMPs

West North East South

Pass 1NT Pass 2¨

Double 3© End

Lead ¨A

East continued diamonds and the question is: how should North play the hand?

First, the bidding. West doubled to show a good lead and a possible suit to compete. North revalued his hand and could hardly be better in support of hearts. Even if South is seriously weak (unlikely since both opponents had passed once) 3© should be a fair contract. North has no wasted values in diamonds and his hand has good controls.

After the opponents had cashed two diamonds and switched to a spade from East, West won and returned a trump. The whole hand revolves round the club suit. The only way it can be kept to one loser is either by force if the cards are very favourable or by an end-play. Since the opponents have §10 the only layout where declarer can make it if the clubs are 3-3 is if West has §10 and either player has §K Q. Then if declarer can end in hand and play a small club towards dummy the defence is powerless. That also succeeds if West has a singleton honour or if East wins §K or §Q and is then end-played (with an original holding of §Q 10 x or §K Q x) but declarer still needs to get it right.

By far the best way to play the hand is to hope that one defender holds §Q x or §K x and cannot or does not unblock. Declarer should win the trump, win a spade, ruff a spade, cross to §A (looking as innocent as possible), ruff another spade and play a trump to hand. A club is played and declarer hopes that whoever wins the trick has neither a trump nor a club to play. Being a tabular sort of analyst these are the different layouts which are worth considering:

West’s Holding	East’s Holding	Winning play	Winning defence	Effect of trumps 3-1
§K or §Q	§Q 10 x x x or §K 10 x x x	Any	None	East may be able to give West a ruff
§K Q	§10 x x x	Any	None	Still successful
§10 x x x	§K Q	Any	None	Still successful
§K 10 or §Q 10	§Q x x x or §K x x x	Cash §A	None	West might unblock for East to give him a ruff or could lead the third trump
§10 x x	§K Q x	Retain §A and lead towards §J 9 7 Play §J	East ducks smoothly	Nil
§K Q x or §K Q x x or §K Q x x x	§10 x x or §10x or §10	Retain §A and lead towards §J 9 7 Play §9 unless §10 appears	East hesitates as if he had both honours (Not recommended)	Only loses if West has five clubs and can give East a ruff
§K x or §Q x	§Q 10 x x or §K 10 x x	Cash §A	None	West might unblock for East to give him a ruff or could lead the third trump
§Q 10 x x or §K 10 x x	§K x or §Q x	Cash §A	East must unblock on §A	East could lead the third trump
§Q x x x or §K x x x	§K 10 or §Q 10	Cash §A But the other line also succeeds if East wins the trick	None	East might unblock for West to give him a ruff or could lead the third trump
§Q 10 x x x or §K 10 x x x	§K or §Q	Retain §A and lead towards §J 9 7	None

If trumps are 3-1 the table changes a little as noted in the last column. Declarer should still keep to the original line (cash §A early) but will fail if

the defender who wins the second club trick has a trump unless a club trick has now been established
the defender who wins the second trick can give his partner a ruff.

Of course, at the table none of these occurred!