Report from the Trials -- Deal 2

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Trials Deal 2

In this deal from the 2007 Team Trials (Round of 16), I reached an unusual position:

 ♥ Control (4♥ would have been ace-asking)

At the other table in our match, the auction up until 3♦ was identical. At this point, South bid 3♥ to look for 3NT, and when North bid 3NT, that became the final contract (making 5). I think my hand is too control-rich and too shapely to settle so quickly for 3NT. We reached 6♦, an excellent contract.

How should I play on the low heart lead? 

I decided I would ruff two spades in dummy, planning to throw my last low spade on a heart. Barring any horrible breaks, it wouldn't be too difficult. I won the heart lead in dummy and had to get to my hand twice to ruff those low spades. One time, I could ruff a club, and I thought it couldn't hurt to try the ♣K (if they covered with the ace, life would be even easier--I might even be able to pick up some 4-0 diamond breaks with that extra club trick in the bag). Anyway, RHO played low on the ♣K, so I ruffed. After a spade ruff in dummy, how should I get back to hand?

 I didn't want to ruff another club, as that would shorten my trumps down to three. Later, upon driving out the ♦K, they'd be able to shorten me again and I might go down with 3-1 diamonds. So, this time I came to hand with a diamond to the ace (the 10 fell on my left). I ruffed another spade to leave:

All was going well. I led dummy's ♦J and RHO played low. I was about to lazily follow low, a careless play. What if LHO started with a singleton ♦10? In that case, the ♦J would hold in dummy. Then what? I'd have problems. If I tried to run hearts to throw my last spade, RHO might ruff in on the third round. Then, I'd need 4-4 spades to make the hand. If instead, I ruff another club to hand, I'd have similar problems (I would be down to one trump, and would not be able to play it). The solution was easy. I overtook the ♦J with the ♦Q (LHO showed out) and played another trump to "draw" the last round. I still had one more trump left in hand. Now, I could take my hearts in comfort and claim 12 tricks.  The full deal:

Notice that letting dummy's ♦J hold (in the 8-card end diagram) would not have been a good idea. I'd have tried the hearts next and RHO would have ruffed the third round to defeat me.

I'm not sure my line of play was the best. In the 8-card ending, what if LHO remained with ♦K10? When the ♦J came off dummy, and RHO showed out, I wouldn't be able to overtake. Then, I'd have been at the mercy of a good split in the major(s).

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