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Hand played on |
May 22nd 2008 |
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Board number |
3 |
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Dealer |
South |
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Vulnerability |
East West Vulnerable |
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Submitted by |
Alaric Cundy |
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North ♠864 ♥865 ♦J65 ♣K653 |
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West ♠K52 ♥Q974 ♦QT43 ♣72 |
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East ♠T97 ♥AKJT2 ♦AT9 ♣T9 |
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North |
Bidding:
East |
South |
West |
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♠AQJ3 ♥3 ♦K72 ♣AQJ84 |
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3♣ |
3♥ |
1♣ 4♣ |
No End |
North / South were playing the inverted minor style, so North's 3♣ bid was limited to 7 HCPs, and it promised at least 4 card trump support, and it denied a 4-card major. South had the option of making a take-out double of 3♥ to show extra values, but saw no point in such a line as a game contract was highly improbable, so he opted for 4♣ instead.
So which of Declarer's cards turned out to have special significance? It was the four of trumps!
Dummy was a bit more limited than it should have been, and Declarer saw the possibility of a loser in each major, plus at least two in diamonds. A heart was led, taken by East, who now had the opportunity to defeat this contract by switching to a diamond. However, not knowing about partner's 4-card heart support, Declarer was given a life-line by a totally understandable heart continuation. Declarer thought before playing to trick 2. East had come in at the three level vulnerable against not, and therefore could be put with most of the missing top cards. It looked as though Declarer needed East to have the King of Spades, but in order to take advantage, spades needed to be led twice from Dummy. How do you get to that Dummy TWICE? The heart continuation was ruffed with the EIGHT of clubs, and Declarer played the Ace of clubs, followed by the Queen, which was overtaken by the King. Happy days - the trumps were 2-2! The spade was duly led to the Queen, but the script went wrong when it was taken by West's King. West returned a third heart, which Declarer ruffed with the Jack. Two top spades revealed the 3-3 break, and one of Dummy's diamonds was pitched on the fourth spade. Now Declarer produced that carefully preserved FOUR of clubs to Dummy's five. Unless East had been completely cavalier, he / she had to hold the Ace of diamonds, so a diamond from table to the King brought the contract home, losing one heart, one spade, and one diamond.
Next time you are dealt the four of trumps, just stop to consider how important it might turn out to be...