Hand of week answer
for
November 6th 2005
| East Dealer | ª | 6 4 3 | |||
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Both
Vulnerable |
© |
Q
J 7 4 2 |
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¨ |
8
6 5 |
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§ |
K
J |
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N |
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ª |
A
10 8 7
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|
ª |
J
9 5 |
|
© |
K
3 |
|
W
E |
© |
10
9 8 |
|
¨ |
A
9 3 2 |
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|
¨ |
K
10 7 4 |
|
§ |
Q
10 3 |
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§ |
9
6 4 |
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S |
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Lead
ª7 |
ª |
K
Q 2 |
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© |
A
6 5 |
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¨ |
Q
J |
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§ |
A
8 7 5 2 |
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W |
N |
E |
S |
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NO |
1NT*
* Strong No Trump 15-17 |
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|
NO |
2¨** |
NO |
2©
** transfer to Hearts |
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NO |
NO |
NO |
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Plan
your play in 2©.
An initial count of your winners comes to just
three – 1 heart and 2 Clubs.
As long as the Trumps divide 32 (68%) then you
will establish 3 more Heart tricks . The Spade lead gives you one more so you
will need to conjure up one further trick. It could come from a successful Club
finesse or from ruffing a Diamond in the short hand, or a finesse up to your
remaining Spade Queen . Risking the Club finesse might result in creating a
loser that you did not have in the first place. The lead is also a bit
suspicious and it seems that West may have reluctantly
led away from the Spade Ace. In order to maximize your chances of the
eighth trick if you play Diamonds immediately you can obtain a Diamond ruff
while there are still the original three trumps in hand with the club finesse to
fall back on if need be.
After winning the first trick, you should play a Diamond first. If East gets in and continues with trumps, you go up with the Ace and play another Diamond. As the cards lie West will play the trump King and cannot take the last trump from your hand. Whatever he plays back you win and ruff a Diamond in the closed hand before entering dummy with a club to draw the last trump. You will obtain 1 Spade, 4 trumps, 1 Diamond ruffed in the short hand and 2 clubs.