TIPS FOR IMPROVERS
Points of interest from the February 2014 duplicates
1 Slam rarely bid
Board 24 Wednesday 19 February – Vulnerability White – Dealer West
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x
Ax
AK10xx
AJ108x
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Qxx
J109x
9x
xxxx
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J10xx
Qxxx
xx
KQx
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AKxxx
Kxx
QJ8x
x
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Only 2 out of 6 pairs bid to 6 Diamonds on the above deal. In fact the grand slam is a very good contract but is difficult to reach with confidence. (Even if the KQ of Clubs are in the four card holding all thirteen tricks are made with careful play – The Heart lead is won in the Dummy with the King and Ace of Clubs and a Club ruff follow. A low Heart to the Ace follows at trick four and a second Club ruff at trick five. Now the Jack of Diamonds to the Ace and a third Club ruff at trick seven. Now Ace of Spades and a Spade ruff allow trumps to be drawn and declarer does not even need to make use of the King of Spades !)
A sensible auction to the small slam is:-
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North
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East
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South
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West
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1 Diamond
2 Clubs
3 Clubs
4NT
6 Diamonds
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Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
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1 Spade
2 Hearts
4 Diamonds
5 Clubs
Pass
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Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
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The key bid here is that after South bids 4th suit 2 Hearts and hears opener show 5-5 in the minors that South should jump to 4 Diamonds with such strong trump support and the excellent controls in the majors.
2 Work out the only chance and play for it
Board 1 Thursday 20 February – Vulnerability White – Dealer North
No Declarer who reached 3NT on this deal worked out what the only chance to make the contract was and played on that assumption.
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KQxx
AKx
K
Q9xxx
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Ax
xxx
9xxx
KJ108
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J109xx
QJ109
xxx
A
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xx
xxx
AQJ10x
xxx
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There are two possible ways to get to game depending on whether East overcalls in Spades or passes.
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North
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East
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South
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West
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1 Club
1 Spade
2 NT1
Pass
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Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
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1 Diamond
2 Clubs
3 NT
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Pass
Pass
Pass
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North
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East
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South
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West
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1 Club
1 NT2
Pass
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1 Spade
Pass
Pass
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Pass
3 NT
Pass
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Pass
Pass
Pass
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1 Showing a good hand of about 17-18 points either 4=2=5=2 or 4=3=1=5. (If the latter then responder will have to hope that Diamond is singleton King!)
2 Showing a sound Spade stop and a good 17 to 19 points
The opening lead against 3NT was the Queen of Hearts. Assuming that the Diamonds break 4-3 then Declarer has eight winners, five Diamonds (obviously overtaking the King with the Ace on the first round), two Hearts and one Spade. There is no chance of making any tricks in Clubs because by the time that any Club might become established the Defence are certain to make at least five tricks. Therefore in order to make a ninth trick the only chance is for West to have started with either the singleton Ace of Spades or doubleton Ax.
Accordingly Declarer wins the first trick with the King of Hearts and immediately plays the King of Diamonds overtaking with the Ace in the Dummy. The Queen, Jack, 10 and the fifth Diamond then follow on which Declarer discards two Clubs, one Heart and one Spade. At trick seven a low Spade to the Queen follows which wins the trick. Now a second Spade is played and the Ace appears on the second round giving the ninth trick with the Ace of Hearts as entry to the second Spade trick.
Yes this is a very fortunate lie of the Spade suit but it is the only chance to make the contract and therefore the hand must be played on the basis that such a fortunate distribution exists.
3 Passive lead defeats game
Board 9 Thursday 20 February – Vulnerability East West – Dealer North
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J10x
Qxxx
Jxx
K97
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843
KJx
KQxx
Jxx
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97xx
None
1087
AQ8xxx
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AKQ
A109xxx
A9x
10
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South opens 1 Heart in third seat, North gives a single raise and South goes straight to game as his sixth trump makes the hand too strong for a trial bid in Diamonds.
With only the trump suit having been bid West should seek maximum safety in his opening lead. Accordingly he should lead his middle Spade intending to play MUD (Middle – Up – Down). On a Spade lead Declarer will probably play the 10 of Clubs at trick 2 covered by the Jack, King and Ace. Provided that East now returns a Diamond the contract is certain to be defeated (selecting the 10 to make it clear that he can contribute nothing to the establishment of any Diamond tricks). West can win the Queen of Diamonds at trick three and exit safely in either black suit to wait for his trump trick and second Diamond trick.
Note that if the opening lead is the King of Diamonds (which was selected at three out of the six tables) that the contract makes comfortably as now declarer only loses one Heart, one Diamond and one Club trick.
So the moral is that providing there is no indication from the bidding that an attacking lead is required you should make the lead which is least likely to give away a trick. Here it was clear to be passive as no suits had been bid apart from trumps.
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