This is the sixth board of a seven-board Swiss match.
IMPs
South dealer
North-south vulnerable
|
NORTH (dummy)
10 7 4
Q 9
3 2
Q J 10 8 7 4 |
WEST (you)
K 8 3
A J 7 4 2
A Q
6 5 2 |
|
|
SOUTH | WEST | NORTH | EAST |
2 NT* | Pass | 3 NT | (All Pass) |
*20-21 | | | |
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Heart four, nine, three, six.
How do you interpret partner's heart three?
There is no universal understanding, but most expert partnerships agree that when dummy wins the first trick with a low enough card at notrump (jack or lower is a common agreement), third hand gives count. It is likely that East intends his heart three to show an odd number of hearts.
Spade four, deuce, queen, ?
Plan your defense.
Solution below.
|
NORTH
10 7 4
Q 9
3 2
Q J 10 8 7 4 |
WEST
K 8 3
A J 7 4 2
A Q
6 5 2 |
| EAST
9 6 2
8 5 3
J 7 6 5 4
9 3 |
| SOUTH
A Q J 5
K 10 6
K 10 9 8
A K |
The bidding marks declarer with the ace-king of clubs, so he has at least nine tricks if he has a low club to go with them. Assume he doesn't. Then dummy may have no entry to the long clubs.
What's happening in spades? If partner has jack-doubleton or three low, it is essential for you to duck this trick, to deny dummy a late entry to the clubs. If East has three to the jack (or, wildly unlikely but possible, five to the jack), you may lose a trick by letting the queen of spades hold--but the contract won't be made, and that's the most important thing.
Even after you are past that hurdle, the rest is not necessarily easy. If declarer unblocks clubs and tries the spade jack, you must let him win that also (he gets four spades, two hearts and two clubs--but no diamonds, because you have time to establish and to run hearts first). Tougher is if he unblocks clubs and plays a low spade. With the cards as shown in the diagram, you must hop up with the king. But what if declarer started with five spades to the ace-queen? Unlikely that would be dealt and that the play would go that way? Maybe.
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