Hand of the week commencing Sunday 14th May 2006
|
|
Dealer
North |
ª |
K 9 7 2
|
|
|
|
|
Both
Vul |
© |
Q
9 5 3 |
|
|
|
|
Lead
§Q |
¨ |
Q
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
§ |
K
10 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
N |
|
|
|
ª |
5
3
|
|
|
ª |
J
10 8 6 |
|
© |
A
2 |
|
W
E |
© |
7
4 |
|
¨ |
J
10 8 4 |
|
|
¨ |
9
7 6 5 2 |
|
§ |
Q
J 8 4 3 |
|
|
§ |
A
2 |
|
|
|
|
S |
|
|
|
|
|
ª |
A
Q 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
© |
K
J 10 8 6 |
|
|
|
|
|
¨ |
A
K |
|
|
|
|
|
§ |
9
7 6 |
|
|
|
N |
E |
S |
W |
|
NO |
NO |
1© |
NO |
|
3© |
NO |
4© |
NO |
|
NO |
NO |
|
|
At
trick one it is very tempting to play dummy’s Club King but it would be
totally wrong. Players shouldn’t lead away from AQJ holdings so East is marked
with the Club Ace. Therefore declarer always has two losers for certain in this
suit. He also has the Trump Ace . What he does not need is a club ruff too. At
trick one he ducks the first trick and hopes that either the club suit gets
blocked or West switches.
West
in fact switched to a Diamond at trick two and declarer was able to draw trumps
and merely lose two clubs and a trump.
As
the cards lie if West had continued with another Club, he would be able to then
get in with the trump Ace and give his partner a club ruff. However with East
following suit at trick 1 with the Club 2 it is quite hard to find this defence.