Hand of the week commencing Sunday 31st December 2006
You
are declarer South, West leads
ªQ
plan
your play.
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ª |
A
K 9 7
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Love
All |
© |
Q
J 7 |
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Dealer
East |
¨ |
5 |
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§ |
A
K 8 5 4 |
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N |
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ª |
Q
J 10 6 2
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ª |
5
4 |
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© |
- |
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W
E |
© |
A
10 9 5 4 3 2 |
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¨ |
A
Q 3 |
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¨ |
8
6 2 |
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§ |
10
7 6 3 2 |
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§ |
9 |
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S |
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ª |
8
4 |
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© |
K
8 6 |
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¨ |
K
J 10 9 7 4 |
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§ |
Q
J |
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W |
N |
E |
S |
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3© |
NO |
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NO |
DBL |
NO |
3NT |
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NO |
NO |
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This hand is simple if you take in all the clues and are observant. Initially the ªQ looks ominous and you might be looking at 2 potential losers in the suit but on reflection you soon realize that your AK97 (plus 8) in hand sits over West’s known QJ10 (top of sequence lead) so you will not have more than one loser here. Secondly, West never lead partner’s suit so he must be void in Hearts. Thirdly, because of the known lay out of the Heart suit your ©K is an entry to hand should you need it. , Finally with such strange shape around the table you cannot rely on the clubs breaking favorably .
Counting
winners, you have 2 Spades and 4 clubs. You will be able to muster up extra
tricks in both red suits. Counting losers you can afford 1 Spade, 1 Heart and 2
Diamonds and still meet with success.
Bearing
all this in mind, after winning the lead with dummy’s Ace you play the Diamond
from table and finesse the 9. West wins and plays another Spade. You now enter
hand with a Club. And play off another High Diamond to West’s Ace. He does
best getting off lead with a Club. You cash your winning Diamonds and then play
a Heart to West. That is now your last loser.
You have merely lost 2 Diamonds and
a Heart. West could have cashed his winning Spade before exiting with the club
if he had wanted to.