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      Walk in the Park?

Some contracts seem impossible to make but the defence is not the sharpest or the breaks are very kind. Others seem quite straightforward but can catch out the unwary. Come, join me, for this “walk in the park”.

 

 

You have at least a double hold in every suit. A breeze? 5 is led at trick 1 to East’s 9. No worries. Which card do you play at trick 2?

It might seem simple enough to knock out the AK and enjoy three club tricks along with four top tricks in the majors and the AK and on a good day, that will be the case. When the club suit breaks no worse than 4-2, that will happen though there is a little matter of entries to the North hand if the defence turned their attention to leading diamonds before declarer is ready to cross to dummy.

However, on this day, when South led T at trick 2, this was not such a day as West took the K as East discarded a diamond! There were only two club tricks to be taken, eventually, by South meaning that with 5 red suit tricks, the declarer needed a second spade trick to come to 9 tricks….and entries were fast running out to the spade suit in the South hand since West continued at trick 3 with a second round of hearts.

 

South was lucky that the J was doubleton. They could lead a low spade towards the queen. If East ducked that, South would force a ninth trick by reverting to clubs. If East took the K, the J would fall under the ace and again, once more, South would soon come to 9 tricks.

However, although 5-1 and 6-0 club breaks are not that common, did South attack the wrong black suit at trick 2? South can, if need be, revert to clubs later or even if East ducks the first round of spades (South should lead low towards the queen, making either 4 spade tricks or maybe only two if the defence does duck the first spade played…but clubs can provide then the balance of the tricks..2 clubs, 2 spades, 2 diamonds andAKQ ). Getting a second spade trick early seems to be the key even if South cannot enjoy the rest of the tricks in the suit.

Note South should not lead A first of all, not a good play if a defender has  KJ8x.

No piece of

So, on the face of it, quite an easy hand to come to 9 tricks but even such simple deals can suddenly become more troublesome when suits break badly.

No, it was not you who opened the bidding!

 but it is your bid now! What to do?

Richard Solomon

 

 

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