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It’s not what “you” have….

What would normally have been a mundane game contract became a difficult challenge for the declarer in order to salvage a plus score after their partner bid rather aggressively. It is up to you to do what you can to make the opposition pay the price for their aggression:

 

After a 15-17 1NT opening, North transferred to spades (2) and immediately launched into Roman Key Card. The 5 response showed two key-cards and no Q. So, North declared at the 5-level with one key-card and the Q missing.

For better or worser, you start with A, on which East played 8, hardly asking for a club, using suit-preference signals with a singleton in dummy. A low heart switch seemed to be the most sensible just in case South held K and South took East’s J with their ace.

Next came A and a second spade to the king, followed by J with South discarding a low diamond. You will have to find three discards as declarer draws trumps, your partner starting with Q754. Which three cards will you throw with South discarding a heart and then another diamond?

It would seem fairly obvious that the key side-suit is clubs and you cannot really help out the defence much in that suit….or can you? Cling on to the ones you have as though they are the AKQ if you want to have any chance of beating this contract. When West threw a heart, then a diamond and then a club, South had a big clue as to where the Q might be….and they made no mistake:

 

North was somewhat fortunate with their partner’s club holding and that they had so little wasted in diamonds. Certainly, on other days, they might not have lost a spade trick but bidding on above game without asking their partner whether they liked either black suit was unwise.

When East won the Q, they returned their last trump when a heart return would certainly have helped West’s discarding. So, South could actually play a 5^th round of spades increasing West’s difficulties. They should not have worried as if South had two club entries to their hand, then there was no hope for the defence. So, West could have thrown another heart, instead of, you guessed it, another club. Deal over, contract making . Opportunity gone.

Of course, South may have anyway started clubs by playing the ace…and then they would have had no further problems. However, West should have clung onto their three card club suit at all costs to protect their partner’s holding, which as you can see above, might be rather flimsy. It looks like a diamond, then two hearts would initially be safe. It’s not your holding in the key suit but your partner’s too that you must consider when you have a choice of discards to make.

With Good Friday looming, something for our less experienced players tomorrow.

Richard Solomon

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