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Simple way to Success.

The question today is are we referring to the declaring side or the defence with today’s deal? There is nothing complex about this deal but the simplicity of what was needed was not appreciated.

 

2 was strong but not necessarily game-forcing. North had meagre values though their heart suit encouraged them to bid one more over 3. After receiving diamond support from partner, you decide A is as good a start as any. Your partner plays a non-too-helpful 9 at trick 1 (their actual holding will soon become apparent) and South follows with K.

What do you play to trick 2?

You would seem to have 3 tricks. If South is void in a suit along with the singleton diamond, you would have little chance of beating the contract. Can partner produce one trick, say a black king? That would seem unlikely as South must have just about all the unseen hcp. Nevertheless, West continued with A and got a low encouraging signal from their partner. So, they continued with 7. However, J won in dummy and South was on their way to success:

 

(We will have a word about South’s bidding shortly.) East's encouraging spade card was because they did not want their partner to change suit, certainly not to a trump. 

In dummy, South led J and would have been very pleased to see that card win the first round of trumps. When 10 won the second round, South could draw trump, concede a trick to A and claim 10 tricks. Simple.

Yet, it did not have to be that way. Switching to the A could have taken away any guess South may have had in that suit. Say South held Kx. If East did hold K, and the defence had two cashing tricks, there was still time to switch when West won A.

West really had no idea how to beat the contract and should have carried on with a second round of diamonds. If there was a difficulty in the play, and there was, then South would have to negotiate it without any help from the defence. West had a simple play at trick 2…and that line would have defeated the contract as long as….

South ruffs Q and lays down A. At that point, they had a choice of losing lines. They could lay down K and concede  further tricks (A A and eventually Q) or lead a low spade towards dummy. The trump finesse would be successful if South is allowed to take it but as long as West continues diamonds when winning their aces, declarer will run out of trumps very quickly.

Although West may not have realised it, their 2 overcall and raise from their partner had proved the key to success for the defence. On any other initial lead or any other continuation but a diamond, South can come to 10 tricks.

West would have initially expected more than 4 hearts in the South hand. South should have had more but they did not! West had no real idea of how to beat the contract. They had a very safe continuation and had they continued with a diamond, then the contract would fail.

Nothing fancy…. No switch.

A word to South

Yes, they had a strong hand but one best described by starting with 1 not a 2-level bid. West would still overcall but East may just pass. Now, South would double, showing both majors, as indeed they should have done over 3 in our first auction, and North would become declarer. Over 1, South may now just content themselves with 3 and the unmakeable game would be avoided.

4 is not an unreasonable contract, with more chance if Q was doubleton and if the diamond lead/continuation can be avoided. South was lucky to find a 4-4 fit with the way they bid their hand and were lucky to make it, because of West’s switch at trick 2. The end rather justified the none-too-impressive means.

Richard Solomon

 

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