In a pairs contest overtricks are important. However, securing a
plus score is also a good idea. Here is a hand where declarer saw
a safe route to the eight tricks he needed.
Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs Game)
Hand #20
Dlr
E
Vul
N/S
J107
QJ53
2
A9642
AQ32
982
J765
J8
954
1074
AK94
Q107
K86
AK6
Q1083
K53
West
North
East
South
Pass
1NT
Pass
2
Pass
2
Pass
2NT
All Pass
BIDDING: South opened 1NT
showing 15-17 points. North used the Stayman convention and after
discovering South did not hold a four-card major, invited game in
notrump. Holding a minimum, South quickly passed.
PLAY: West led a low
diamond won by East with the king. He followed with the ace and a
third diamond. Declarer could count seven tricks: four hearts,
one diamond, and two clubs. If the missing clubs divided 3-2, he
could establish that suit for additional tricks. However, losing
a club along with three diamonds left him in a position to lose two
spades if the honors in that suit were behind him or if he guessed
wrong. Then he realized the actual problem was to not lose a club
trick. He won the diamond queen and led a low spade toward
dummy. West could win the queen and cash the fourth diamond but
the defense was finished. Declarer was able to establish his
eighth trick in spades and was pleased when he saw his contract could
have been defeated if he had led clubs.
The simple job of counting tricks is a task too often forgotten.
