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Hand played on |
12th February 2009 - a very snowy night! |
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Board number |
8 |
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Dealer |
West |
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Vulnerability |
Love All |
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Submitted by |
Ian Moss |
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North ♠ ♥ ♦ Kxx ♣ KJ Not recorded |
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West ♠ QTxx ♥ xxx ♦ Tx ♣ A9xx |
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East ♠ Kxx ♥ void ♦ AQJx ♣ QTxxxx |
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North |
Bidding:
East |
South |
West |
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South ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ Not recorded |
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2NT 4♥ Dbl
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3♣ 5♣ End |
3♥ No |
No 4♣ No
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The snow was falling steadily outside and players were beginning to get concerned as to whether they would get home safely. Declarer and Dummy not only eventually got home safely after the close of play, Declarer also got home in a rather unlikely contract on this hand... How often have you bid and made a doubled 5-level contract after your opponent opened a natural 2NT?
The initial heart lead was ruffed, and a club was played to the Ace. The clubs broke 2-1, with North holding the King. The ♦T was led from Dummy, and North declined to cover (a mistake). After that the contract was easy - win the top three diamonds, discarding a heart from Dummy, and when the ♦K comes down in 3 rounds, North will be end-played either by playing the fourth diamond or by a trump to the King. Had the ♦T been covered, the play becomes more difficult, but the contract can still be made, on an elimination play. Declarer plays ♦A, ♦Q and then ruffs a diamond. Then he returns to hand by trumping a heart, and plays the ♦J on which Dummy's last heart is discarded. If North trumps the 4th diamond, he is end-played, and either has to lead a spade to Dummy, thereby restricting the losers in that suit to one, or has to concede a ruff and discard. If North declines to ruff the diamond, then Declarer end plays him by playing a second round of trumps.
Had North's hand-shape been 4-5-2-2 then he could over-ruff the 3rd diamond and get off lead with a heart, but then a spade to Q end plays him so long as west holds the ♠J - likely on the bidding
The moral? If the weather is awful, be bold but get home safely!