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Your are in 7 on the following hand which came up at a local weekly duplicate session. How do you make it on a ![](/images/club_18.gif) lead
1 ![](/images/heart_18.gif) Showed 5 ![](/images/heart_18.gif) 's and 11-15 points 2NT was Jacoby Game forcing 3 ![](/images/diamond_18.gif) Splinter in ![](/images/diamond_18.gif) 's 4NT Roman Key Card Blackwood 5H showed two Key cards 5NT asked for Kings and 6 ![](/images/diamond_18.gif) show 1 or 4 Kings (Obviously K ![](/images/club_18.gif)
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The key to making the contract is ensuring you have an entry outside trumps to cash your club winners. If you let the initial lead run round to hand you have effectively blocked the suit. You must win with the A and set about on a dummy reversal by ruffing 3 losers with your trumps in hand and finally crossing to dummy to draw the last trump.
This was spotted by John Boughey well done |
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Bidding Conundrum |
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The following came up in a Welsh Western Area teams event. You are South and you pick up this hand and your partner opens 1 NT and right hand opponent doubles what do you bid:-
Answers to stewart.pye@o2.co.uk |
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A lot depends on your defence to 1 NT X. If you are playing Natural you can bid 2 's and West is likely to compete with 2 's you can then introduce your suit and could well be pushed into 4 's which can not be beaten with a loser in the three suits outside trumps. If you play some form of wriggle you can still show your 's and a similar auction is likely to ensue. If you have a way of showing a two suiter after 2 's will West compete if not North will almost certainly bid 2 safe in the knowledge that he can stand South bidding either major.
Most defences to 1 NT X cater for two four card suits or single suited hands I would welcome anybodies views on defences to 1 NT X and whether your methods would include six five hands albeit very rare.
It is perhaps a good example of a famous bridge writers say six five come alive and South should ensure that it is North South who plays the contract. |
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Bidding problem |
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You pick up the following hand which came up in a teams match on BBO. How do you intend to bid it |
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At the table North opened 1 which was passed round to West who overcalled 1 North made the conservative bid of 2 and East competed with 2 this was passed round to North who doubled and South who had remained silent supported 's and North played in 3 .
At the other table after a similar start North re-bid 3 ![](/images/club_18.gif) and the opposition competed with 3 ![](/images/heart_18.gif) South competed with 4 ![](/images/diamond_18.gif) and North raised to game.
Both made 10 tricks. Both 5 ![](/images/diamond_18.gif) and 4 ![](/images/spade_18.gif) are makeable. Email stewart.pye@o2.co.uk with your answer as to the best bidding sequence and how you make the contract. |
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Vote for your choice of bid |
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English Bridge Magazine Problem |
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In the latest issue of English Bridge in Mike Swanson's article there was a hand which he had stated could be made but did not give the solution. On the face of it you have a losing trick in each suit how do you make the contract. Answer to stewart-pye@freenet.co.uk. I will put a solution up later. |
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As West holds all the points for his sidea part from the K the
he can be end played. On a lead of a diamond you can win and set
about hearts. West must eventually win
and exit in either hearts or diamonds you lose a diamond trick and win any
return you then strip your hand and dummy of hearts and diamonds and cash Ace
of trumps when you give West his eventual trump he is end played and has to
give you a ruff and discard or lead a club.
You lose a diamond a heart and a trump.
Perhaps the lesson in this deal is don’t take a finesse
unless absolutely necessary especially if you can get the opponents to do it
for you. |
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Quiz |
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You are in 6♦ and West leads 4♠ you win with your A♠ and East plays the 7♠. How do you make 6♦, you expect West to hold four hearts. |
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You assume that West has led from a four card suit headed by an honour and anticipate that the honours are split (East has failed to unblock) and is left with a singleton honour. You need to eliminate side suits and then end play East by leading a heart. Even if West goes up with his King he sets up your Jack. If East plays his spade honour on first trick you can't make the contract |
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Safety Plays |
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A hand from the Oxford Congress on Saturday Sept 27th . Your contract is 6H and opponents start with the Ace and King of clubs. Obviously you need to avoid losing a spade, but what is your best option and/or can you combine your options safely? email me at mondriac@googlemail.com and your reply will be published here next week.
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Play problem |
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This double dummy problem was supplied by Alan Cooke and comes from Hand 18 of Guernsey Swiss Teams. How do you firstly bid to optimum contract of 5 and then how do you make it. Answers to stewart-pye@freenet.co.uk |
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Assuming Q♣ lead provided you duck the initial lead, even if West overtakes and gives his partner a ruff if you take the spade finesse return to hand with a ruff and draw trumps and cash all but last trump and then cross to dummy with A . You have two ♣'s and a trump in hand and A♣ and two ♥'s in dummy. West has to discard from A♥K ♥J♣10♣ you squeeze West in hearts and clubs. If West discards a club you cash A♣ and then ruff a ♥ and you have a master ♣ and if West discards a ♥ you lead a heart and ruff and then return to dummy with A♣ to cash master ♥ |
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Play Problem |
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You are on lead against 3 NT by South and you make your normal fourth highest lead of 4♥ the J♥ and partner wins the trick with the A♥ and returns the 5♥. Declarer wins with the K♥. Plan the defence Answer to stewart-pye@freenet.co.uk |
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East has returned the 5♥ as East will return his original fourth highest or top card of a remaining doubleton. East has two possible hands A♥5♥2♥ or A♥8♥6♥5♥2♥. In the bidding South bid 1♠ if he had four hearts you would expect South to have bid 1♥ rather than 1 ♠. East is therefore marked with 5♥'s and you must unblock one of your honours. When you get in with K♠ you can cash your remaining heart honourand then East can overtake your 7♥ wih his 8 ♥ to cash the setting trick
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