Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 04/01/2022
Level: Intermediate
This deal was (mis)played by one of the game's greatest declarers. In the 2021 Austin National Swiss Teams, he held:
932
--
K109873
J943.
With both sides vulnerable, he opened a modern aggressive weak two-bid in diamonds. Partner raised to 7! Wow. The Q was led and dummy was awesome:
--
AKQ53
AQJ2
A1087
|
| |
932
--
K109873
J943
|
Declarer ruffed in dummy and planned a crossruff. He took three high hearts throwing cubs. Then A, club ruffed high, spade ruff, etc.
What's wrong with that? Hearts were 6-2. Thie was the Real Deal:
Granted, the 6-2 heart break was unlucky, but declarer needn't have risked that bad split. After the spade lead ruffed in dummy, declarer ruffs a (low) heart in hand to ruff a second spade in dummy. Then another small heart is ruffed in hand. Now the final spade is ruffed with dummy's A. Then comes dummy's remaining diamond, overtaken to draw trumps. Then and only then, dummy is entered with the A for the 3 high hearts.
Vul:Both
Dlr: South |
--
AKQ53
AQJ2
A1087
|
|
QJ865
J4
64
K652
|
|
AK1074
1098762
5
Q
|
| |
932
--
K109873
J943
|
|
The spade lead made life easy. With a different lead (like a trump, for example), things are more complicated. So complicated that declarer can't make it!
