Hand of the week commencing Sunday 24th September 2006
Playing
normal signals partner leads ª2
and on your Ace declarer drops the Queen plan your play.
|
|
Dealer
East |
ª |
K
J 10 4 3
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Both
Vul |
© |
A
7 |
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¨ |
J
9 8 |
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§ |
J
10 9 |
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N |
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ª |
2
|
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|
ª |
A
9 6 5 |
|
© |
9
5 2 |
|
W
E |
© |
K
3 |
|
¨ |
7
6 4 2 |
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|
¨ |
A
Q 10 |
|
§ |
Q
8 7 6 2 |
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§ |
A
5 4 3 |
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S |
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ª |
Q
8 7 |
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© |
Q
J 10 8 6 4 |
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¨ |
K
5 3 |
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§ |
K
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N |
E |
S |
W |
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|
1NT |
2© |
NO |
|
NO |
NO |
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Have
you fallen into declarer’s trap ? Do you think partner started with three
Spades and declarer with a singleton Queen. Is declarer trying to put you off
playing another Spade ?
If
declarer has a singleton Queen then partner must have 872. Surely he might have
led the 7 (MUD) or 8 top of nothing
and not the 2 as he did here. Therefore his 2 must be a singleton and declarer
is merely false-carding when he drops the Queen.
Bearing
this in mind, you must win the first trick and play back your ª9
to show that you want partner to play back a Diamond after taking his ruff.
Partner wins the second trick with a ruff. He plays back ¨7
or ¨6
to show he has nothing in this suit. Partner wins and now plays back his ª5
(his lowest remaining Spade) to ask for a club switch this time. West ruffs and
plays back a Club. The defence has taken the first 5 tricks and East sitting
over dummy’s Ace will, some time later, take the setting trick with the King
of Trumps. Any other careless defence and declarer will merely draw trumps and
bring home up to 10 tricks.