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In the 2007 Team Trials Round of 16, my opponent, Lapt Chan,
played this hand beautifully:
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Dlr: West
Vul: None
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North
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♠
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1065
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♥
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kJ8762
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♦
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98
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♣
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86
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West
(LC)
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East
(David)
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♠
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43
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♠
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J72
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♥
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953
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♥
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Q103
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♦
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kQ7
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♦
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105432
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♣
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AQJ93
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♣
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52
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South
(Lapt
Chan)
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♠
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aKQ98
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♥
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A
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♦
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aj6
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♣
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K1074
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| 1♦
* |
Pass |
1♥** |
X |
| XX*** |
Pass |
2♦
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3♠ |
| Pass |
4♠ |
(All Pass) |
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| *Precision
(Could be short) |
| **A bit of a
semi-psyche |
| ***3-card heart
"support" |
Our (East-West) actions were a bit strange-looking, but the
final contract was normal. In fact, most tables in the event
reached 4♠
by South, down one.
What can declarer do with all his minor-suit losers? Surely, he
has to lose at least a diamond and two clubs, but he has an extra
diamond and two extra clubs to deal with. One loser can go
on the ♥K,
but declarer can't ruff any clubs in dummy (East can overruff).
Anyone with double-dummy software (such as "Deep
Finesse") will see that the hand can be made. Although it was
defeated at the other table in our match, Lapt played the hand as
if he could see all four hands. A trump was led (best) and
declarer won the ♠8
in hand and played the ♦J.
This kept RHO off lead (or he would have played a club through for
two club tricks and a club overruff). I won a high diamond and
continued with a second round of trumps.
At this point, declarer cashed his red aces and ruffed a
diamond with dummy's last trump. On the ♥K,
he threw away a small club, keeping ♣K107.
He ruffed a heart to hand (a key play) and drew the last trump.
Now, I was down to only clubs. Declarer exited with the ♣10
and I had to win and give him a club trick for his contract.
Note that declarer not only timed the hand perfectly, but made
the pretty plays of both the ♦J
and ♣10
out of hand, both for the right reason at the right time. This
gave his team a well-earned 10 IMPs.
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website
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