IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

Some contracts seemed doomed to fail.  Here is a hand where the declarer would not give up.

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs Game)

Hand #23
Dlr   S
Vul BOTH
S A7
H 10432
D KJ103
C 862
S J10542
H K9876
D 5
C J10
    
S 63
H Q
D A98742
C KQ93

S KQ98
H AJ5
D Q6
C A754
West North
 East
 South


 
 1NT
   Pass     2C    Pass   
    2S   
   Pass
    2NT
    Pass
    3NT
All Pass



BIDDING:  The bidding was routine.  South liked his hand and accepted the invitation to game.

PLAY:  Realizing from the bidding there were four spades on his right and four hearts on his left, West led the jack of clubs.  East encouraged with the three (upside-down attitude) and declarer won the continuation.  Next, declarer led the queen of diamonds.  East won this and promptly cashed the two high clubs.  West signaled that he wanted a heart shift so East put the queen on the table.  Declarer had lost four tricks and could only count eight winners: three spades, one heart, three diamonds, and one club.  He needed to win four spade tricks and that would only be possible if the jack-ten were doubleton or with a possible squeeze.  South won the ace of hearts and ran his diamonds.  In the end position, declarer came down to four spades in his hand and had the heart ten in dummy.  Poor West unable to protect four spades and the heart king had to concede defeat.  Game bid and made.

Copyright ©2008 Larry Matheny.     stats