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TALES OF AKARANA
Crashing Honours
A series of curious events resulted in 12 well won imps on the following board (4). In the cold and reflective light of the post-mortem, one can find a reason why the defence could have prevailed but the declarer, Carol Richardson, gave them the scope to misdefend…and misdefend they did.
Firstly, playing strong no-trump and a 2+ 1
opening, what would you respond after hearing your partner open 1? You hold:
AQ53
A63
983
Q87
and there is no opposition bidding? I am sure 1 would be the choice of most. Absolutely perfect. Carol chose to use Hamman’s Rule that 3NT might be the best game to bid and make. She used the “tell them nothing” maxim too. The immediate 3NT bid should deny a four card major and have a hold in each other suit. Well, the above hand did not quite fit the bill in two respects...but the heart and club holdings seemed fine!
Everyone passed and on receiving the J lead from South, this is what she saw, as East.
| Board 4 West Deals Both Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♣ | Pass | 3 NT | All pass |
She thanked partner for dummy (“nice clubs!”) and ducked the first heart. North won with the queen and continued 8. You are in dummy. What now?
Even if she made 4 spade and 2 diamond tricks, she still needed a trick from the club suit. That could be a long time in coming. She hastened that time by leading J from dummy!
| Board 4 West Deals Both Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♣ | Pass | 3 NT | All pass |
You can debate the rights and wrongs of this play but when North decided to cover one honour with another, the fall of a third honour from South spelt the end for the defence. There was no time now for North to switch to the contract- defeating diamond suit and South’s hearts were well and truly dead.
Carol was able to win North’s lead and establish dummy’s clubs for just one more loser..making 9 tricks. Most of the tables saw West as declarer and received a diamond lead. Not even a “high club crescendo” could save them from five losers. Indeed, some went down in 2NT.
Carol got lucky in that the diamond suit was with North but she rode this piece of luck well with an inspired first bid and then club play.
Richard Solomon
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