Spade Heart  Diamond Club
Blundellsands Bridge Club
Interesting Hands
This is a new feature.  We are inviting our members to share any hands that they have found interesting or amusing.
Hand 2 in a recent simultaneous had interesting possibilities. The commentary assumes the result will be 4 one light. However at our table East opened a mini 1NT. South doubled and West redoubled, looking for a save. East bid 2 (relay) doubled by South and West bid 2. North now bid 3 assuming South’s double was business and South concluded with 3NT. (If North bids 3 he could end up as declarer with some chance of making 4 since East cannot lead a diamond.)

West led fourth highest spade and was gratified when this suit gave the defence the first four tricks. On the fourth spade declarer discarded a heart from dummy and a club from hand. After a diamond continuation with Q covered by K and A declarer was two light. However if declarer discards a club from dummy and a diamond herself and plays small from dummy on the Diamond there is an inescapable squeeze on East at trick 11 with a discard to find from K and J10.

Furthermore West could have prevented this being possible by not cashing the last spade, thereby rectifying the count for the squeeze. A diamond at trick four leaves declarer with one further club and one diamond to lose.
Seven or not ?
This is from a recent teams match. You are sitting North and must contain your excitement when your partner opens 1 and then, in response to your quiet 1 and the opponents intervention in , jumps to 3!  Surely you can smell a slam but just how much should your mouth be watering or are you beginning to drool?

Your 4NT is a Blackwood enquiry that reveals one Ace. So what now?

The Ace must surely be the A (if your partner is willing to make a jump raise without the A or K it is time to find a new partner!). Even if partner holds A Q J where are the rest of the 15 or 16 HCP to justify the jump.  Partner only has one ace so must have at least two kings for that point count and with the opponents intervention in Spades it looks like he holds both of the red kings.

Your call?

On that logic you must bid 7.  Partners hand is not what you expect because he does not hold the K that you were relying on - but his void is even better!

Ruff the spade lead, draw trumps in one round, and claim -  4 red-suit winners and cross ruff all night!

Of course E/W could always bid 7!
Playing in No Trumps

Playing NoTrump Contracts Remember you must plan your play before you start. Count your winners Look for sources of extra-tricks Look for any potential problems When playing in a No Trump contract you invariably want to play the suit in which you need to establish extra tricks before you cash your known winners.
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