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  Discovery Day.

It seemed a pretty sensible line to play the overcaller for a key ace. It was a vulnerable overcall, after all, and we all know that vulnerable overcalls are respectable, don’t we! So, at least one declarer, probably one or two more, bemoaned their bad luck, when they found too many losers on the deal below when they considered they had played the board in the correct manner.

Playing 5-card majors, you reach a pretty fair 4 contract, though the trump suit is “fairly average”! West leads A and a second spade with East contributing 4 and then, much to your relief, J. Plan the play.

On a bad day, East would have ruffed the second round of spades leaving the fate of the contract very much in doubt. Yet, this was not such a day. So, why did the contract fail?

After winning the spade lead in dummy, our declarer played a club to the ace and then played a low heart (well, they were not blessed with any high ones!) towards the king. West played the only non-honour card the defence owned,2, and the declarer decided to go up with the king hoping West held Ax doubleton or maybe evenAQ2 or AJ2. They were not going to lose to any singleton Q or J in the East hand. They did not… but they did manage to lose three heart tricks and thus the contract failed.

A successful diamond finesse kept the losers down to just 4 but -100 proved to be no great score. Take a look:

 

There was no point in South telling West off for having such a poor overcall at that vulnerability. Certainly, we have all seen better, much better but, on some days, it might be crucial for East to lead a spade against, say 3NT. West bid 1 before knowing that the opposition had a heart fit. I am sure we all (yes, even you!) have overcalled on worse.

While an overtrick in 4 would be nice to achieve, especially at Pairs, securing the success of the contract is paramount. The lie of the defenders’ trumps was unknown to South who could lose between one and three tricks in that suit. What was clearer was the diamond position. It would seem unlikely that West would lead a diamond away from the king during the defence (had they held that card). Thus, South would be left to taking that finesse. With only five diamonds between the North and South hands, there was a very minute chance of conceding a diamond ruff if they took that finesse before playing on trumps. Taking the finesse would provide South with one very important piece of information.

If the finesse failed, then trumps must be played for just one loser, meaning that the best chance of success would indeed be playing a heart to the king. However, when the finesse was successful, South could afford to lose two trump tricks and still make their contract.

Thus, play Q and then a second diamond…or a club to the ace… and then play a trump (say 3) and when West plays 2, call for the 4! 3241! Yes, out would come the ace and West would just make one further heart trick. Were the trick to be won by the J or Q, declarer must return to play hearts again from the South hand in case the ace and remaining honour were with West.

There was one more tiny clue that West might not hold the A. When you played your 3, holding A2, West might play their ace and a third round of spades hoping their partner might score their Q with a ruff. Not conclusive proof but just another scrap of evidence maybe against a thinking defender. Remember if East did hold QJ doubleton, they could not get their partner back in after winning J. 10 tricks would be safe.

Discovery Day: Discovery Play

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How many trump tricks can you afford to lose and still make your contract? South had a pretty safe way of finding out. That they did not proved fatal. I am sure at the table North was sympathetic to their partner’s apparent bad luck…but in the post mortem afterwards, they might suggest that South was not so unlucky after all.

Precision Bidding?

You hope not, because you want to find the lead to beat this slam. “Precision” is the system your opponents are playing.

1 is 16+ hcp any shape.

1 8+ hcp with 5+ hearts

2  sets hearts as trumps and sets a cue-bidding sequence in motion

2 shows first or second round control in spades

2NT is a waiting bid, allowing their partner to cue some more..

3 shows first or second round control in diamonds and denies first or second round control in clubs

You know it all. So, what as East do you lead?

All will be revealed on “Jan’s Day”.

Richard Solomon

 

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