Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 10/01/2023
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
For the third month in a row (more to come), we visit this year's Senior Team Trials. Everyone (the deals were the same in all matches) opened 1NT and played in 4
after a Texas Transfer.
Vul:None Dlr: South |
KQ10832
2
A1076
95
|
|
974
K653
92
K1083
|
|
65
Q987
KQJ5
J76
|
|
AJ
AJ104
843
AQ42
|
|
What should happen on West's
9 lead? Although several declarers failed, this one should be made. As usual, we count losers. From the long trump hand (dummy in this case). If the
K is offside (as it is), that's one loser there. If diamonds aren't 3-3 (they aren't) that's 3 more losers. So, the contract is in jeopardy.
Declarer should start by winning the
A and playing another diamond. If the defense doesn't find a trump switch, it will be easy. Declarer could win a heart or club (eschewing the finesse) return and play a third diamond, later trumping the 4th diamond in hand.
But East should have none of this. After winning the
J at trick two, he should play a trump, taken by declarer's
A. Now what?
Declarer still has a surefire counterplan. Do you see it? Simply win the
A at trick three and play a third diamond. If they are 3-3, no problem. If East wins and plays a heart or club, win the ace, ruff a heart in dummy and trump the last diamond. So, when East wins the third diamond, he has to play a second trump (won in dummy) to leave:
Vul:None Dlr: South |
Q1083
2
10
95
|
|
9
K65
--
K1083
|
|
--
Q987
K
J76
|
|
--
AJ104
--
AQ42
|
|
Declarer draws the last trump and plays a heart from dummy, intending to put in the 10. If East happens to have both the
K and
Q, no problem. East would have to play one of them and declarer could win the ace and play the jack to throw dummy's last diamond. East wins, but declarer has a good heart for dummy's potential club loser. If West wins the
10 with the king, he is endplayed. He has to play either a heart into the
AJ or a club into the
AQ. Either way, declarer has 10 tricks.