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Updated 16th August 2026 |
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Hand of the week, week commencing, Sunday 28th June 2026
Plan you play in 4♥ after the ♣King is led
If you wish to play this hand out click here
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| W | N | E | S |
| Pass | Pass | 1♥ | |
| 2♣ | 2♦ | Pass | 2♥ |
| Pass | 4♥ | End |
The hand this week is relatively easy and after some sensible bidding (South dint rebid the Spade suit as that would be showing extra values as a reverse), declarer woke up in the middle of the hand but it was too late and went one down.
He drew two rounds of trumps and then played a club. West won the trick and played a spade to partner's Ace who then took the last trump off the table and now the contract had to go one down losing 2 Clubs 1 Diamond and 1 Spade.
Let us now replay. Initially you have 4 Heart winners, and 1 Club. So quite a bit of work to do. If trumps break no worse than 4:1 you will obtain a fifth Heart trick. Therefore, you need 4 more. Three will come from the Spade suit once the Ace has been forced out. So where will the 10th trick come? Yes. you will have to trump a Club in dummy the short hand while there are still trumps in dummy before East can draw that last trump in dummy when he obtained the lead with the Spade Ace.
So, after winning the first club with the Ace, play one round of trumps only and then play a second club getting ready to ruff a club in dummy. West wins and plays a trump as he sees what you are trying to do. Win the second round of trumps and trump your last club. now play a top spade which East wins . He gets off lead with a Diamond and in due course you will draw the last trump and then make all the remaining tricks- You make 5 trumps, 3 established Spades, 1 Club and 1 Club ruffed.
(The main lesson of the hand is that if you need to ruff something in the short hand, delay drawing trumps and if you are the defender and see that declarer is not drawing trumps you need to play a trump if you gain the lead, so you deprived declarer of being able to trump in the dummy, the short hand)
watch the film of the hand being played out by going to www.haroldschogger.com/movies2.htm