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28  Delicate play required

 

ª K 10 5

© A

¨ A K 10 8 7 6 2

§ 10 6

ª J 8 2                        ª 9 7

© Q J 6 4                    © K 10 9 2

¨ 5                               ¨ Q J 3

§ K J 9 8 7                 § A Q 3 2

ª A Q 6 4 3

© 8 7 5 3

¨ 9 4

§ 5 4

This hand occurred in Sunday’s Surrey teams of eight match played in Richmond Bridge Club.  It needs very delicate handling in 4ª (not everyone’s favourite contract with only 20 points and a delicate 5-3 fit).

 

West leads ©Q and declarer must cash ¨A and ªA Q before playing a second diamond from hand.  West cannot profitably ruff so discards and North wins ¨K.  A third diamond is ruffed and West cannot now do better than overruff and cash two clubs.  Dummy is then good for the remainder.

 

 

That way of playing requires spades to be 3-2 and either:

West to have one or two diamonds or

West to have three diamonds and the third spade so that East cannot ruff ¨K.

 

That’s 52% which is not bad playing teams or rubber bridge but very poor playing duplicate as it is likely to be doubled and down several if the suits are splitting badly.