Hand of the week commencing Sunday 29th October 2006
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ª |
Q
J 6
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Dealer
South |
© |
7 |
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Love
All |
¨ |
Q
J 10 9 |
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§ |
A
J 9 7 4 |
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N |
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ª |
A 3 |
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ª |
7
5 4 |
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© |
A
J 10 9 8 |
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W
E |
© |
K
6 3 2 |
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¨ |
7
3 2 |
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¨ |
8
5 |
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§ |
8
6 3 |
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§ |
K
Q 10 2 |
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S |
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ª |
K
10 9 8 2 |
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© |
Q
5 4 |
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¨ |
A
K 6 4 |
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§ |
5 |
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W |
N |
E |
S |
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1ª |
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2© |
3§ |
3© |
NO |
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NO |
4ª |
NO |
NO |
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NO |
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West
finds the best defence of ace and another trump, East following on both rounds.
How will you attempt to recover the situation?
This hand comes from Danny
Roth’s new book “Spot the Bridge Writer’s Blunder”
First Thoughts
One
obvious line is to hope that the hand with the third trump does not have either
of the top hearts. Playing a heart to the queen will then ensure ten tricks via
a heart ruff in dummy. Is there anything else?
When
this hand was published in a text-book on play, the author insisted that two
rounds of trumps would defeat the contract. If declarer won the second trump in
the dummy and played a heart, an alert East would rise with the ©K and play his last trump. This would restrict
declarer to nine tricks - four each in diamonds and spades, plus the §A.
What was wrong with that?
The
author was so overcome by the defenders' brilliancy in preventing a heart ruff,
that he overlooked the possibility of setting
up dummy's club suit. After winning the second trump, declarer should cash the §A and ruff a club. A diamond to dummy's D10 allows a
second club ruff and a further diamond to dummy's ¨9 is followed by another club ruff, setting up a
long club.
Declarer
has won seven of the first eight tricks. He now plays his two top diamonds. If
they stand up, that will be nine tricks with the high trump in dummy still to
come for the tenth. East therefore has to ruff, but now declarer can reach dummy
with an eventual heart ruff and enjoy his established fifth club. Ten tricks
however East defends !!
The
book contains hands appearing in newspaper articles magazines and books where
the 'expert' has either misanalysed or totally missed the point of the hand.
I
hope that non of my problems appear in any sequels !!