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You hope!

Finding the Ending.

Some boards which seem easy to play end up as unmakeable because of opposition ruffs or bad breaks. Others which initially seem to have very little chance can turn out to be quite straightforward, as long as you create the opportunity for some good fortune.

 

 

It was not a lovely dummy. Plenty of heart losers and hardly a running club suit! Let’s hope for a nice trump break. Come on. Thank partner like you mean it and plan for 10 tricks…and wish very strongly for a 3-2 trump break…and your wish is granted! West held J95.

It might have been too hard had there been a 4-1 trump break to contend with as well as those two awkward side-suits. However, we can draw trumps in three rounds.

Firstly, though, that opening lead with West leading their partner’s suit, except that it was the Q. Then, when trumps were drawn, West also owned up to the J. Not revolutionary you may say but that’s 3 high-card points that East, the opener, did not have. East bid twice and certainly has long (if not strong) diamonds. That leaves 13 hcp which mainly will be in East’s hand, especially the A and the missing club honours.

Getting even harder? Maybe.

East threw a diamond on the third round of spades. Whatever suit holdings East has, you would have to hope that they do not have more than a doubleton heart, and you will not be playing the K on the first or second round of the suit just so they can take their ace on top.

If you have to lose two club tricks because East has KQx, then you can only afford one heart loser… tricky! You need to make life as hard as possible for East when they gain the lead. So, cash your other diamond honour next and then play on clubs. Give the lead to East either by taking a club finesse or by playing A and a second club. Either way, you were about to make your contract without too much stress:

 

Had you taken the finesse, East’s exit would either be the other high club or maybe a diamond. After the diamond, you would discard a heart from hand and ruff in dummy…and need a slice of good fortune by laying down A.

If they had exited a club, you can cash two club winners and lead a low heart towards dummy and playing low, even though West tempts you with 9. No doubleton heart in the East hand but a sequence, for South, just as good. East will now have to give you a ruff and discard or concede by playing the A.

Had you played A and a second club, you will receive an immediate ruff and discard. With a heart disappearing from your hand, there will only be three losers, two hearts and a club. Not so hard, after all.

Of course, the suit lay-out may not have been so friendly. East might have held AQx  KQ but even then, there were good end-play possibilities. The key to success was to cash the other diamond honour thus restricting East’s easy exits. Sometimes, such end-plays will not work but often they do.  

Two connected questions

 

2NT was balanced,12+ and forcing to game (you probably guessed that last point from the 19 hcp in South's hand!). 4 was a minimum with 6 spades. 5 showed 2 key cards in spades but no Q. Your bid?

The second is what is Jo Simpson pouring and what is the connection of this picture to the above hand?

(Please do not stress over the answer to the second question as you will almost certainly not know the full answer… until tomorrow!)

Richard Solomon

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