Answer to

Hand of the week commencing Sunday 11th December 2005  

 

 

Dealer East

ª

 K J 6 2

 

 

 

Both Vulnerable

©

 A 5 3

 

 

 

 

¨

 A K

 

 

 

 

§

 K 8 4 2

 

 

 

 

 

N

 

 

ª

 9 7 3

 

 

ª

 5

©

 10 6 2

 

W                          E

©

 K Q J 9 8 7 4

¨

 Q 10 9 6 3 2

 

 

¨

J 4

§

 3

 

 

§

 Q 7 5

 

 

 

S

 

 

 

 

ª

 A Q 10 8 4

 

 

 

 

©

 -

 

 

 

 

¨

 8 7 5

 

 

 

 

§

 A J 10 9 6

 

 

                           

W

N

E

S

 

 

 

3©

3ª

 

NO

4NT*

NO

  5ª **     * Roman Key card Blackwood

 

 

 

                ** 2 key cards plus queen of trump

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West leads the ©2 How would you secure your 11 tricks without a straight Club guess ?

 

Superficially it looks like as guess on which way to finesse for the Club Queen or whether or not to play for the drop.

 

In order to enhance your chance of success let us do some  detective work in the other three suits before touching Hearts.

 

After winning the first trick with the Ace throw a Club from hand and then ruff a Heart . Draw three rounds of trumps Now cash two top Diamonds followed by a Diamond ruff. East discards on third round. You now have a complete count of East’s hand. You now know he started with 7 Hearts (from his bid), 2 Diamonds he followed twice, one trump so he must have three clubs . It is now a matter of cashing the King in dummy (in case West’s Club is a singleton Queen) followed by finesse through East. Well played declarer.

 

 

 

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