Hand of the week - 27. on 2025/05/06 |
Show Detail | Noth ended up in a contract of 6NT.
East led the Ace of Diamonds.
If you were North, how would you have bid, and why?
If you were East, what would you have led, and why?
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Show Answer |
South has only 8 hcp, but 7 losers, and 3 points for a singleton.
North has 22 hcp with 5 losers, so is interested in game.
After South's replies, North calculates that South has at least 6 spades and possibly 7 losers, making 12 between them with the possibility of a small slam.
North uses Key-card Blackwood, to find that South has either an Ace of Diamonds, or the King of Spades.
East should not have led the Ace. Instead they should have led the 6♦, fourth from the longest suit, with a chance to break the contract.
After losing the first trick to the Ace of Diamonds, North will go on to draw all the trumps, and make 6 Spade tricks, 3 Hearts, 1 Diamond, and 2 Clubs. Slam made! |
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Hand of the week - 26. on 2025/03/14 |
Show Detail |
This board was played at the Away Weekend on Friday March 14.
The contract was 7NT by West (all vulnerable) and North led the 2♣ .
How should West play it?
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Show Answer |
The problem for West was that there were only 11 immediate winners. There were potential winners with the opponents: two in spades, three in Diamonds and two in Clubs, if they could have been held back!
As North led the 2♣ (fourth from longest), followed by 5♣ , 7♣ , and fortunately won with 9♣ , it can be assummed that there were only three left in North and one in South. Note that a similar overall result would have happened if the 3♠ had been led.
The stragegy was to watch what the opponents discard, when the Hearts were run out by Declarer.
If North discarded another Club, then Declarer could make 13 tricks.
The contract could only have been defeated in the unlikely event that South retained Spades (discarded a Clubs and Diamonds), and North retained Clubs (discarded Spades).
Congratulations to Frank and Jean on succeeding with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! 
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Hand of the week - 25. on 2025/02/17 |
Show Detail |
Declarer is North, the Contract is 2 Spades, and Vulerability is All.
You are defending from West.
Three rounds of Diamonds have been played by East (North won the third), and two rounds of Spades by North.
The score is Declarer 3, and Defenders 2.
Declarer is about to play a third round of Spades, which your partner in East will win.
You can make three tricks and bring down the contract; so what do you play?
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Show Answer |
You wish to play in Hearts.
Play the 9♣ , which is asking for the higher of the other two suits. As you can see Dummy's k♥, win with the Q♥, then the A♥ , and finally A♣ to break the contract.
This is a "McKenny Discard". It asks partner for the higher of the two other suits, i.e. Spades were played and you showed a Club. The other two suits were Diamonds and Hearts.
Low value cards: 2, 3, 4, 5 ask for the lower suit (in this case Diamonds), and 7, 8, 9, 10 ask for thhigher (in this case Hearts). Note the 6 is indeterminate. |
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Hand of the week - 24 on 2025/02/10 |
Show Detail |
This is an interesting board - straight to 7NT by East!
South opens with K♣ (top of a run of honours in longest suit), which East wins with the Ace.
What can South do to defeat the contract, while North wins many tricks, and how can South calculate what to do?
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Show Answer |
East will make 12 tricks immediately.
South must count the discards made by partner in North.
If partner discards two hearts, South can calculate that East holds A♥, K♥ and only the J♥.
Therefore, the other two suits, diamonds and clubs are worth sacrificing.
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Hand of the week - 22. Fork the Defence on 2025/01/27 |
Show Detail |
Dealer West and E-W are Vulnerable Contract is 6♠ by West
North leads K♣
Entries are important !!!
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Show Answer |
1 West wins with the A♣
2 West wins with A♠
3 West wins with A♦
4 West loses the Q♥ This will fork the defence !!!
First option, if North wins with K♥ , then East's J♥ is promoted
5 North will probably lead Q♣ , East ruffs with 3♠
6 East leads a 4♦ , and West ruffs with 4♠
7 West plays 2♥c, to win with the promoted J♥ in Dummy
8 East leads 5♦ , to ruff with the K♠
9 West leads the 5♠ to win with J♠ , then Q♠ and three remaining diamonds to make the slam 
Second option, if North had ducked, then Q♥ will win giving the extra trick to compensate for a trick lost later |
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Hand of the week - 21. Splinter 6 on 2025/01/20 |
Show Detail |
Splinter
South makes a splinter bid, which means that North has a loser in clubs.
Key-card Blackwood
North’s no trump bid is looking for aces and the king of spades. The diamond reply by South shows the missing king of spades, or ace of clubs.
How would you play this?
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Show Answer |
Play
This looks impossible as there appear to be two losers.
Declarer is North and Dummy is South.
East will certainly lead and win with the K§, and not wanting to open a red suit, leads and loses the Q§ to a ruff in Dummy with 2ª.
Dummy now draws the spade trumps in two rounds with the Kª and Jª.
Dummy attempts to drop the opponents’ Q¨, by playing 3¨ to the A¨ and returning the 2¨ to the K¨, and finally ruffing the 5¨ with the 10ª. Fortunately, this works, and the J¨ is promoted.
Declarer crosses to Dummy with 5§ which is ruffed by 4ª.
(If the Q¨ had not dropped, then Dummy would have to try a finesse with the Q©, but this would fail at West’s K©.)
Then play the J¨ and discard the 6©. Then win to the A©.
Cross ruff the remaining hearts and club.
The contract makes the slam. |
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Hand of the week - 20. Stop Slam on 2025/01/13 |
Show Detail |
South is Declarer in 6 Spades.
What can West lead to defeat the contract?
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Show Answer |
To defeat the contract, West must sacrifice the Queen of Spades.
Declarer will then ruff a club trick, cross back to South with a diamond, and ruff another club trick.
But this will exhaust Dummy’s trumps and restore West's 8 of Spades into a natural trick, after West’s two of Spades falls to the King.
There is another trick in Clubs by West. The contract cannot succeed. |
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Hand of the week - 19. Take-Out Double on 2025/01/08 |
Show Detail |
How what would you expect from the bidding?
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Show Answer |
An explanation
This is a Take-Out Double.
Bidding
Many would open as North with 1
East doubles for a take-Out, South passes, and
West makes a jump response in the major with 2 .
North passes, and East with 6 losers, raises to 4 .
Play
East-West should make 4 . |
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Hand of the week - 18. Moonraker on 2024/12/27 |
Show Detail |
Declarer: South 7 Redoubled
Vulnerability: All
Trumps: Clubs
West is to lead. Can South make the contract?
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Hand of the week - 17. Whitfield Six on 2024/12/09 |
Show Detail |
Here was a fiendishly difficult one.
Vulnerability is None, Hearts are trumps, and South is to lead and must win all six tricks.
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Hand of the week - 16. Six out of Seven on 2024/12/02 |
Show Detail |
West is Declarer and is on lead with Hearts as trumps. To make the contract, West, must win 6 of the last 7 tricks.
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Show Answer |
West is Declarer and is on lead with Hearts as trumps. To make the contract, West, must win 6 of the last 7 tricks.
If West leads winners, North and South will each win a trump trick with their hearts.
West must cash the A♦, discarding the Qª from dummy (One trick).
Now West leads the J♣, and loses a trick to North’s singleton K♣.
North will lead a spade, and give the lead to East , with the Aª and a discard in West of the blocking A♣ (Two tricks).
Declarer draws the remaining trumps from East with the A© and discards the final blocking ♣.(Three tricks).
Then Declarer runs the remaining three little Clubs in East to make the contract (Six tricks and contract made). |
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Hand of the week - 15. Hand 12 on 2024/11/25 |
Show Detail |
This presented a challange on Tuesday.
Slams are available in NT and clubs.
Opener cannot bid 1NT; so a quantitative 4NT may be difficult later.
Bidding in clubs, prevents using Gerber
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Hand of the week - 14. Board 14 on 2024/11/18 |
Show Detail |
Can South make a slam?
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Show Answer |
After a contract is agreed in hearts by N/S (after outbidding clubs by E/W), Key-card Blackwood shows only one control missing. |
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Hand of the week - 13. Board 10 on 2024/11/18 |
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Hand of the week - 12. Card Turner on 2024/11/11 |
Show Detail |
The Declarer has a tricky challenge to make the 3NT contract. It is all about entries and clearing blockages.
North has opened with the six of spades.
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Show Answer |
North has opened with the six of spades.
The Ace of spades is currently the only entry into the Declarer's hand. If it is played, there is probably only one heart trick and two diamond tricks able to be made immediately: opponents would make at least five tricks and the contract would go down.
Dummy in East Plays the 4 of spades, South plays the King of spades, and West ducks with the 8 of spades: one trick away.
South leads the Queen of spades, West holds back with the ten, North plays the seven, and East plays the five: second trick away.
Unfortunately, South now leads the three of spades, and Declarer has to win with the Ace, but discards the Ace of hearts in East which was blocking: one trick won.
Next West leads the King of hearts and discards the Ace of diamonds which was blocking: second trick won.
Then West leads the Queen of hearts, and discards the King of diamonds which was also blocking: third trick won.
Finally West is able to run off six diamond tricks to make the contract.
How lucky is that! 🙂 |
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Hand of the week - 23. on 2025/02/03 |
Show Detail |
The bidding was a Benji strong 2♦ (ACOL 2♣ would work, too), with a strong response from partner.
Then Key-Card Blackwood asked for aces, and found one.
The final contract was 7NT vulnerable by West, and the lead was 4♠ from North, as it was fourth highest in the longest suit.
Can you make the Grand Slam?
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Show Answer |
At first it looks difficult. Although there are lots of winners, it is difficult to communicate between the hands.
All the tricks can be made from East.
Win the first trick with the A♠ in East (over your K♠ in West).
Then play the Q♠ and J♠ from East, while discarding the A♦ and K♦ in West.
Continue from East by playing the Q♦ , J♦ , and 10♦ , and discarding the A♣ , K♣ , and Q♣ in West.
Finally all the Clubs in East are winners.
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Hand of the week - 11. Hand 12 on 2022/04/23 |
Show Detail |
A grand slam is possible in spades by West
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Hand of the week - 10. Hand 2 on 2022/04/07 |
Show Detail |
East opens with 3H, and West responds with 3S. Then East goes for game with 4H.
Most declarerers missed this game. How do you make the contract?
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Show Answer |
It is important that East wins all the aces in West's hand; so no matter what the opponents lead, West should win it, with an ace.
There are four losers: a club, a diamond, and possibly two hearts.
Win with the ace of spades in West. East ruffs the 2 of spades, and returns to the remaining ace in West.
Seeing that the king and jack of spades are played, the 10 of spades is a winner. Play it to be ruffed by South, and discard the remaining diamond loser in West. One trick down.
Only a club and a heart can be lost. Draw the Ace and Jack of hearts with the king and queen.
Three tricks down, and the contract is made. |
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Hand of the week - 9. Hand 21 on 2022/03/17 |
Show Detail |
North opens the bidding with 1NT showing 14HCP with a balanced hand.
South responds with 2D requesting a transfer to Hearts.
North bids 2H.
What should South do next?
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Show Answer |
South has a 4 loser hand and !NT is likely to be an 8 loser hand; therefore, with 10 losers (18-12 = 6 overtricks), a slam is possible.
So, South should bid 4C, which is Gerber asking for aces.
North responds 2H, showing 2 aces.
South then bids 6H and makes the slam. |
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Hand of the week - 8. Hand 9 on 2022/03/05 |
Show Detail |
How should you bid this board?
How could the opponents stopping the bid?
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Show Answer |
E S W N
- - - pass
pass pass 2NT* pass
4C* pass 5C** pass
6NT pass pass pass
* = Gerber
** = 4 Aces
A small slam for E/W, although the declarer will actuall make all 13 tricks!
Vulnerable NT
Vulnerable 3NT + 4
40+6(30)+500=720 points to E/W
But if bid a small slam 6NT + 1 an extra 500=1220 points (note if only 6 tricks = 1190)
However, to disrupt the contract
E S W N
- - - pass
pass pass 2NT* 3D#
4C* 5D## pass pass
pass
# = Disrupting the likely slam
## = Believing partner's hand was stronger than it actually was
If N/S bid 5D non-vulnerable doubled going down 4
Minus 100+200+200+300=800 points to E/W
This is a Psyche, which is perfectly legal (although illegal in some systems and tournaments), but a deliberate and gross mis-statement of honour strength and/or suit length. It is primarily to mislead or disrupt the opponents. It must be declared in the player's system card.
Systemic psyching is not permitted, i.e. the player's partner knows what it means! A Deviation or Psyche should be just as much a surprise for the bidder's partner as it is for their opponents. |
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Hand of the week - 7. Hand 7 on 2022/02/22 |
Show Detail | This hand depends on the lead card by the opponents. Can you see what should and what should not be led?
The hand was played at a Team Match.
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Show Answer |
Typical Bidding for 4H:
N E S W
- - 1C pass
2H 2S 3H pass
4H pass pass pass
Surprisingly, it is not always best to lead a singleton.
If East leads the Jack of Clubs, North will make the contract with 620 match points.
East should have led the King of Spades, and the contract will go down one trick losing 100 match points.
Compare below.
Tricks with singleton lead: Tricks with king of spades lead:
1. CJ C3 C2 CK 1. SK SA S3 S6
2. H2 H3 HA H4 2. H5 H4 HK H3
3. H5 H8 HK H7 3. HQ H7 H9 H8
4. HQ HT H9 S3 4. CK CJ C3 C2
5. C4 S4 CA CT 5. H2 HT HA S8
6. D7 D2 DK DA 6. CA CT C4 D3
7. D6 D8 DJ DQ 7. C6 CQ C5 S4
8. DT D3 S7 D4 8. ST S2 S5 S7
9. S2 SK SA S8 9. S9 H6 SJ C7
10. C6 CQ C5 S5 10. DQ DA D7 D2
11. ST S6 SQ C7 11. SQ C8 D4 HJ
12. SJ C8 S9 H6 12. DK D5 D8 D9
13. HJ D5 C9 D9 13. DT D6 C9 DJ
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Hand of the week - 6. Hand 12 on 2022/02/07 |
Show Detail |
Again small slam was missed by everyone.
How should it have been bid?
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Show Answer |
Actually 7 Diamonds, 7 Hearts, and 7NT could be made!
Bidding for 7D:
W N E S
pass 1D pass 1H
pass 3D pass 4NT*
pass 5S** pass 5NT*
pass 6D pass pass
pass
* Keycard Blackwood on agreed Diamonds suit (last suit bid )
** Two Aces and King of Diamonds
Two Kings were with the opponents.
Tricks:
1. SJ SA S5 S2
2. DA D7 D2 D3
3. D4 D8 DK C4
4. HA H2 H7 H5
5. H3 H4 HK H6
6. HQ C2 S7 H9
7. H8 C3 D5 HJ
8. CA C5 C8 C7
9. C9 C6 CQ CK
10. SK D9 S3 S4
11. CJ CT D6 S8
12. HT S9 DJ S6
13. DQ SQ DT ST
A small slam in Diamonds, but actually made 7 Diamond! |
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Hand of the week - 5. Hand 4 on 2022/02/03 |
Show Detail |
A grand slam in NT, Spades or Hearts was possible, but missed!
How should it have been bid?
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Show Answer |
Bidding:
W N E S
pass 1S pass 4C* With opening points in North and 18 in South, a slam was on!
pass 5H** pass 6C*
pass 6NT*** pass 7NT
pass pass pass
* Gerber (Slam bidding in NT asking for Aces and later for Kings)
** 1 Ace
*** 3 Kings
Hold all the Aces and all the Kings
Tricks:
1. C4 CT CQ CK
2. SA S3 S2 S4
3. S7 S9 SK S8
4. SQ SJ ST D3
5. S6 C5 C3 D4
6. S5 C8 H2 D6
7. D5 D2 DQ H5
8. D7 C2 DA D8
9. DK D9 H4 C6
10. H6 H3 HJ H9
11. H8 HT HK HQ
Claim (in Show Menu) for the last two tricks, making 13 and the Grand slam! |
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Hand of the week - 4. Hand 4 on 2022/01/24 |
Show Detail |
Everyone missed bidding this slam in hearts or spades. Please try to work out how to bid it.
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Hand of the week - 3. Hand 13 on 2019/09/19 |
Show Detail |
The strong N/S holdings can be played in 5D and make 12 tricks. Is there a better contract?
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Show Answer |
Yes it is a small slam in 6NT. |
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Hand of the week - 2. Hand 16 on 2019/09/12 |
Show Detail |
How should the bidding continue? Given that North/South should win the bidding, what should be the contract?
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Show Answer |
Although 5 Diamonds by South could make, an optimal bid would be 3NT by South which should make 11 tricks. West should lead the K♣. |
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Hand of the week - 1. Hand 1 on 2019/09/05 |
Show Detail |
A simple but somehow difficult hand to bid. North and East pass, but what do you bid with a balanced hand, 18 points and a 7 losing trick count?
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Show Answer |
Try 1 Club, aiming to bid 2NT next showing 17/18 points. North bids 1NT showing 6-9 points. South bids 2NT - asking and North should bid 3NT (which makes). |
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