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Powerful and Visible.

Ideally, when one hand is very strong and the other very weak, we like the stronger hand to be declarer, not only because its honours are usually protected at trick 1 but also because the opponents are less likely to find a killing defence when dummy gives away so little.

Yet, it does not always work out that way as this time the strong, very strong, game force opener ended up as dummy.

 

 

After a standard game force opener and negative response, the rest of the bidding was natural. West started with Q which was covered and won by East’s A. Back came 9 covered by South’s 10  with West’s J winning the trick. West then cashed A which looked a good bet for a third trick for the defence. East played 9 and South 2. What about trick number 4?

It's easy to be mesmerised by North’s  powerful dummy. High trumps and a long solid diamond suit. With South holding at least 9 cards in the majors and 2 clubs, there was no chance of East ruffing the first round of diamonds. Time to give up? Well, not just yet.

There’s two clues to point you in the right direction. Firstly, although South could have five hearts, if the opponents have a 4-4 fit, then that means East has 4 as well. If East’s highest heart is 6, there is no hope. Yet, suppose they hold 10 and three others. Then, forcing dummy to ruff would promote a trick for East. That seems as good a plan as any.

Yet, with which black suit do we continue? Did you notice your partner’s 9? Chances are they have a lower spade and are trying to signal. When a singleton appears in dummy, an unusually high card suggests switching  to the higher of the other two non-trump suits. We have already established that a diamond switch would not work. Exiting a trump is like giving up..and East appears not to want a club switch.

Did you find the spade continuation?

 

South would not have expected to be declarer when they first picked up their hand. They would then have been delighted with the dummy they received. They would have been rather less happy having to ruff the second round of spades in dummy when they discovered the 4-1 heart break. Indeed, if East had one less diamond, the contract might have been beaten by two tricks, with a second spade trick for the defence…not today, though.

A triumph for not giving up and interpreting East’s signal. East could see the 4^th defensive trick once their partner led A. How to convince West to continue spades at a time when giving up might be so easy. It is possible that a third round of clubs might have defeated the contract if South thought East had a doubleton club. It was certain that the spade continuation would defeat an otherwise very cold game.

Note a spade lead to the ace and Q switch might also have defeated 4 had North been declarer though 107 being visible in dummy means that West would be on lead at the end of trick 3, with a losing club continuation a possibility. It is harder, as stated, when the strong hand is hidden.

Oh, would you as East have beaten 3NT had South passed that? Chances are you would not have found the spade lead, necessary to do so. Again, hiding the strong hand would probably have been successful. 

Richard Solomon

 

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