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No catch, really.

Today’s deal did catch out more declarers than it should have. So, let’s check on the basics:

 

A standard 2NT opening is followed by a reasonable but optimistic raise to game. Perhaps, if your methods allow, North should try a 3 major suit enquiry as most would open 2NT with a 5-card major in a balanced hand and 4 might then be the best contract if opener had 5 spades.

Not today, though. Indeed, West leads 4 on which East can only contribute 2. No free gift as you must win with Q. You play Q which holds the trick and continue with J on which West puts down K. Over to you?

You are playing Pairs and you know that overtricks are quite handy and if you can bring in 5 club tricks, that should give you an overtrick (5 clubs, 3 spades, A and surely another trick in the red suits).

They, of course, are greedy thoughts as you have not even secured 9 tricks yet. The odds are not that strong that you will have 5 club tricks. So, the best action is to duck the K and at least ensure 4 club tricks on most distributions of the suit. Otherwise, you will struggle to get back to dummy, as indeed was the problem as this was the lay-out:

 

West would certainly continue with a second spade and, as as long as you ducked K, you are at least able to continue with three more rounds of clubs. Discarding may not seem that easy but it would be hard for East not to show a liking for diamonds or a dislike of hearts in their discarding. Meanwhile, West may well discard a spade and a red card.

With 8 certain tricks, you would need to play a diamond from dummy, especially if East showed interest in the suit and you will then emerge with 4 clubs, 3 spade and 1 trick in each red suit….no overtricks but just making 9 will be and indeed was a fine score.

The K should be ducked even if West plays it on the first round of clubs. That lack of any entry to dummy outside clubs makes this play necessary and you will be unlucky if West’s original holding was KT doubleton, when the duck was unnecessary. Play with the odds.

The duck is even more necessary were South to have opened with a Precision 1 and East was able to show a liking for diamonds by doubling North’s negative 1 response. Now, West’s initial lead would be 9. While South must duck that if East plays low, East should take their ace and return Q. It may be better for South to duck that card (though West is very likely only to have a diamond doubleton) though their K will soon win trick 3.

When Q is covered, South must duck just in case East has Txx. Winning the trick will effectively end declarer’s chance of even 8 tricks.

So, it maybe that ducking concedes an unnecessary trick. Never mind the overtrick even if it is Pairs. Making your contract is usually still paramount.

Richard Solomon

Support our keen Youth players and improve your bidding at the same time.

A great fundraiser bidding challenge is coming up very soon (21^st December) to help support youth players that are travelling to the Australian Youth Week in Canberra in January.

 People who sign up (and pay a donation) are emailed 15 hands with different scenarios. During a live panel session on 21^st December, you can compare your answers with those of an expert panel.

You can find out more or register here: https://ausyouthbridgeweek.wixsite.com/australian-youth-bri?fbclid=IwAR0jS8DsPMTOsH0vo7UJInOFaMteIazkc0SXihwjxYQk6UdbC9BAe-E3NYI

Please contact sam.coutts@nzbridge.co.nz for more information. There are different levels of contribution starting at NZ$20.00.

 

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