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Interesting Hands
'How unlucky! Nothing I could have done.' Again?
Partner's 3NT was a little imaginative but nothing else fitted the bill, really.

However, you are West, in 4♥, with ♦J led; how do you play it?

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Inferential play
Don't forget that bidding is part of the game.

You are West, in 3NT, with ♠8 led; how do you play it?

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Entry problems
A subtle point of technique ... and a neat line of play

Today you are playing in strong NT.

You are South, in 3NT, with ♠Q led; how do you play it?

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This one is easier, for a cautious declarer!
Normal play.

What is 'normal play' when playing in a trump suit?

Draw trumps?

Take some ruffs?

Set up a side suit?

Well, it's usually one of those!

You are East, in 6♠, with ♥9 led; how do you play it?

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'Sorry partner, there was no defense!'
Oh? Really?

Remember, these hands were meant to train young champions!

You are North, defending 3NT, with ♥10 led; how do you play it?

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'Unlucky partner!' Unlucky? Not really.
A trivial deal, surely? It's all on the Heart finesse. North will cash two Diamonds and switch to a Club or a trump and then all declarer has to do is to play a Heart to the ♥Q.

A 50-50 hand, right?

Wrong, very wrong!

You are in 4♠, with ♦K led; how do you play it?

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Spectacular!
You are in 7NT as South, with ♠K led; how do you play it?

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Just, just making
You are in 2♥ as South, with ♥6 led; how do you play it?

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Carefully plan your communication
You are in 6♣ as South, with ♣4 led; how do you play it?

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A tricky contract
You are playing 3NT as East and the ♥2 is led; how do you play it?

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73% for a 'normal' line of play
You are playing 3NT as West and the ♠6 is led; how do you play it?

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Good fits for both sides
You are defending 5♠ doubled; what do you lead?

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A question of lead
You are defending 6♠; what do you lead?

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2011 Gold Cup Final - 2 of 2
You are in 4♥, and the ♦A is led. How do you play it?

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2011 Gold Cup Final - 1 of 2
You are in 4♠, how do you play it?

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Robson's card play is world class
Given that South has shown an eight card diamond suit, North is odds on to hold four spades. How do you play it?

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Another rare mistake
After winning the first two rounds of spades, what would you lead?

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Poor defense
Hamman is quoted as saying "the best players aren't that good and the rest are a lot worse". Have a look at this example.

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Zia and Sheehan
World class bidding from Zia and Sheehan; how would you do it?

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Zia rarely makes an obvious mistake
You are in 3NT, with ♥A lead, how do you play it?

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The Art of Counting - Why will you avoid me? You don't like me?
You are in 4♠, with ♥K lead, how do you play it?

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The Art of Counting - A good player draws trumps early ... Do you?
Losers? 1♠, 3♦s and you need a lot of trumps to ruff your ♥s and dummy's ♣s.

Alas, the clairvoyant West led a trump (♠10), so what now?

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The Art of Counting - Molière's Mr. Jourdain was surprised he could speak in prose!
Will you be surprised to squeeze your opponents?

You have reached 7♠, and ♥K is lead, so what now?

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The Art of Counting - Can you make 12 tricks with East ducking the first Diamond?
How can South make this bold slam (6♥) assuming the defense will hold up the ♦A?

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The Art of Counting - How to play 7 trumps contracts!
You have settled on 4♥, and, not unexpectedly, are playing a seven trumps contract for a change!

Do you know how to play such contracts or do they makes you feel tense?

The 1st rule is not to hope for a 3-3 break!
The 2nd rule is to count your winners as well as your losers.

♠K is led, so what now?

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The Art of Counting - Make them grin!
You are in 3NT and the lead is ♣K; how do you play it?

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Harvey Bernstein's Gold Mine
Warning: this deal is a "trompe l'oeil"!

Construct a basic plan at trick one and be flexible enough to adjust your plan as play continues...

You are in 4♠ and the lead is ♦K; how do you play it?

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The Art of Counting
Find the Queen!

The lead is ♥A; how do you play it?

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Shrogger's hands on Defense
Apparently you'll have 2 losers ... provided you tackle the hand the right way!

You bid to 3♦ (with opposition bidding ♥s). The lead is ♥3; how do you play it?

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Duboin's Stunning Defense
North leads the ♥Q which declarer wins with the ♥A, and switches to clubs, which you win with the ♣A taking dummy's ♣K.

What do you do now?

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The Morton's Fork Coup
4♠ is reached by way of a reasonable auction.

West lead the ♥10 which East won with the ♥A. East returned the ♥3, which was won by declarer with ♥K.

What do you do now?

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Interesting Hands #120: Belladonna's brilliancy
Sitting South, the Italian champion opened 4♠ and this was the final bid.

After taking the lead (♦6) with his ♦A, Belladonna was quick to find the solution.

How would you play the hand for 100% chances of success?

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Interesting Hands #119: The Substitute
Where will you go after partner opened 1♣?

A doctor is called away from a bridge tournament to tend to an emergency. There is still the last board to play.
They ask a kibitzer to take his place, even though he knows nothing about the game.

They tell him 'Just bid what you have and follow suit.'

You are the unfortunate substitute's partner. Be prepared for... everything!

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Interesting hand #117: Garozzo's daring slam!
A daring slam by Benito Garozzo...

Could you beleave Garozzo ended up in 6♠ on a total of 19 HCP?.

West led the Ace of Clubs.
Would you like to take Garozzo's seat and try make 12 tricks?

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Interesting hand #116: My first end-play! OMG!
Teachers: this hand is for your intermediate students...

After opening 1♣, North pressed the brake pedal so desperately hard that you end up in 4♠.

West led the ♦J.
Obviously the contract is cold: you can't loose more than 1 Diamonds and 2 Hearts.
Do you see a way to make more than 10 tricks?

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Interesting hands #115: Experts always imagine the worst
Experts are pessimists: they always imagine the worst!

After a fine bidding sequence, you end up in 6♠ by South.

After North's opening of 2♣, East intervened double.
Therefore, when West lead the ♣10, East played the Ace and continued with the Queen.

How does a reasonnably pessimistic expert envisage the situation?

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Interesting hand #113: Caution! Champion at work... Creative defense!

East shows an unbalanced hand with 4 hearts, 5 or 6 diamonds and a singleton.
Partner's lead ♠5, presumably from 4 or 5 spades and he can't have more than 4 points, perhaps the ♥K or ♣K.

Therefore, the question is: "Why did West bid 3 NT with 2 or 3 low spades?
Cabanes, a french champion found a clever answer...

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Interesting hand #112: Rodwell and the fox strategy

Rodwell opened 1NT followed by three pass...

With such a low combined strength, Rodwell was quite certain someone was waiting in the wings, presumably in hearts.
Playing for the win, he applied the fox strategy:

The lead was the ♦10. How did he play the hand?

Wanna try? With the all-new Vu-Bridge Online Player, play this hand as if you sit at Rodwell's place!Click here: Play featured hand 112
Vu-Bridge Beginner's Corner

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Saturday January 30th, 2016:
Careful Play by Paul Bowyer

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V-Blue - The beginners e-newsletter: 20 hands to play every two weeks - ACOL and Standard American versions available
Vu-Bridge Hand of the Week

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Saturday, January 30th, 2016:
Diamonds, again! By David Bird

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V-Green e-Newsletter: improve your Bridge skills - all levels
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