Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 10/01/2016
Level: Intermediate
This deal was played in the 2015 Blue Ribbon Pairs in Denver. At unfavorable vulnerability, South held:
AQ5
J10853
Q9
1062.
His partner opened 1NT and East overcalled 3
.
South bid 3
and West bid 3
. North control-bid 4
and South signed off in 4
. How would you play with a club lead?
1096
AK976
A85
A4
|
|
AQ5
J10853
Q9
1062
|
Say you win the
A at trick one. If you lay down the
A, West (yes West!) shows out. With East having all the clubs (and a natural heart trick), prospects look bleak. Likely the spades are wrong.
After the shock of the 3-0 heart break, let's say you play a low diamond from dummy. East takes the king (that's good) and cashes a high club (his partner following suit, completing a high-low). East plays the
2 in this position:
1096
K976
A8
--
|
|
AQ5
J1085
Q
10
|
You've lost 2 tricks and have to lose the
Q. One of your low spades can go on the diamond ace, so it seems you have to finesse your
Q to make the contract. Based on the bidding and play, the finesse is sure to lose. But, if RHO has a singleton spade, you could be in business. Watch.
You win the
A and cash the
Q. Trump a club in dummy (LHO discards) and cash the
A to throw a spade (RHO follows). Now, play the
K and another heart to endplay East. He has only clubs left and on his club play, you throw your
Q and trump in dummy. Here is the Real Deal:
Vul:N-S Dlr: North |
1096
AK976
A85
A4
|
|
KJ8743
--
J10762
53
|
|
2
Q42
K43
KQJ987
|
|
AQ5
J10853
Q9
1062
|
|
With all 4 hands in view, follow the play and watch how South lost no spade tricks! The first two tricks were taken by dummy's
A and
A. Declarer was careful not to play a second high heart. If he had done so, East would have cashed his
Q when in, thwarting the endplay. Declarer's small diamond was taken by East's
K. East cashed a high club and played his spade. Declarer won the ace, cashed the
Q, trumped a club and discarded a spade on the
A. The
K and a heart put East on play for a ruff-and-sluff. Declarer lost only one club, one diamond and the
Q for a beautiful +620.