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26 Double dummy elimination

ª Q J 9

© 10 9 8 5

¨ A 5

§ Q 10 9 7

ª A K 8 6 3 2              ª 10 5

© 4 3                            © 7 2

¨ 9                               ¨ K J 10 8 7 4 2

§ J 6 5 2                      § K 8

ª 7 4

© A K Q J 6

¨ Q 6 3

§ A 4 3

Dealer West: EW vulnerable

 

I misbid and misplayed this hand from a local duplicate:

 

West                North               East                  South

2ª1                 Pass                 Pass                 Double

Pass                 3ª2                  4¨                   4©3

End

 

Lead ¨9

 

 

Having reached 4© I started on the right lines by winning the first trick in dummy and drawing two rounds of trumps.  Then a spade to West forced her to cash a second spade winner and exit with the third.  The club suit is “frozen” for both defenders who cannot touch it without losing their trick.

 

We had reached the critical moment and, although I had counted East’s hand, I lost the plot.  I discarded a diamond (correct) in this position:

 

ª Q

© 10 9 8

¨ 5

§ Q 10 9 7

ª 8 6 3 2                      ª --

© --                               ©

¨ --                               ¨ K J 10 7 4 2

§ J 6 5 2                      § K 8

ª --

© Q J 6

¨ Q 6

§ A 4 3

West played ª2 to North’s ªQ and South’s ¨6.

 

Since West was 6-4 in spades and clubs she was extremely unlikely to hold both §K and §J as with 11 good points 1ª would be the bid.  So East was marked with at least one of these, probably §K.  If he held §K J doubleton I could not succeed but with the cards as shown §10 from dummy wins as East must duck to avoid complete ignominy.  West has to take §J otherwise she loses it and then there is a club winner in dummy on which to discard ¨Q.

 

 

If East holds §8, as shown, the clubs in dummy become solid when East is forced to play it.

 

If, by chance, West had held §K and East §J x and West ducked (best) a second club from dummy would clarify the situation and West would have to take the third round and lead either a spade for a ruff and discard (irrelevant as there is a heart entry to dummy) or concede the club for a diamond discard in hand.

 

The irritating thing is that I saw the position at the table and then played a diamond instead.  I blame the radiator which was doing its bit for global warming next to me!


[1] Weak

[2] Lebensohl showing a spade stop and four hearts

[3] Double would be much better and scores 500 on poor defence and 800 on reasonable defence!