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Hand played on |
October 23rd 2008 |
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Board number |
Red Section, Board 12 |
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Dealer |
East |
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Vulnerability |
NS Vulnerable |
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Submitted by |
Dennis Valtisiaris |
|
|
North ♠J4 ♥K87432 ♦A64 ♣AJ |
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|
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West ♠Q62 ♥Q95 ♦QT3 ♣T863 |
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East ♠987 ♥AT ♦9875 ♣KQ75 |
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North |
Bidding:
East |
South |
West |
|
|
♠AKT53 ♥J6 ♦KJ2 ♣942 |
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2♦ 4♥ |
No No End |
1NT 2♥ |
No No |
Modern bidding methods allow - and indeed encourage - the choice of a 1NT opener on hands with 5-card majors, if the suit is not re-biddable. Suppose you hold something like ♠Qxxxx, ♥Ax, ♦Kxx, ♣Axx; if you choose to open this hand 1♠ you will be forced to rebid 2♠ if partner changes suit at the 2-level, and unless partner has a decent, or otherwise favourable, hand you will very likely land in a mess. It is much better in the long-run to open 1NT if you play the 12-14 style; if partner uses Stayman you bid your spade suit as if it were a 4-carder. Such action rarely costs, but often avoids trouble.
Dennis followed similar thinking on this hand, and as a consequence he soon found himself as Declarer in a 4♥ contract.
The
opening lead was a small club. There is now an inescapable club loser, but
the contract is makeable if trump losers can be restricted to two. How would you
tackle the hand?
The winning line is as follows. Win the first trick with ♣A and play a small heart from Dummy towards your Jack.
If East plays the Ace, play low from hand and when next in hand run the Jack, pinning East's ten in the process.
If East plays the Ten, cover with the Jack and when next in run a small heart, crashing the Ace cheaply.
Either way, Declarer now only loses two Hearts and a club, as a losing Diamond can be thrown on an established Spade.
That
play earned Dennis a well-earned 'top' on the board.