IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

It's important as declarer to be able to place the opponents' high cards.  The first tool available is the auction and sometimes that's all you need to be successful.

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs)

Hand #42
Dlr   N
Vul none
S AQ87
H J10
D Q107
C AJ72
S 95
H 9642
D 9842
C 1084
    
S 102
H AKQ875
D KJ3
C 65

S KJ643
H 3
D A65
C KQ93
West North
 East
 South

1D 1H 1S
   Pass     2S    Pass
     4S    
All Pass



BIDDING:  The auction is routine.  East had a good overcall but realized his partner must be broke. 

PLAY:  West led his partner's suit and declarer ruffed the second round.  Declarer saw that the contract was safe with only one heart and possibly two diamonds to lose.  He next looked for a chance for a valuable overtrick.  A quick review of the auction told him that the diamond king was very likely in the East hand.  Declarer drew trumps in two rounds and followed with four rounds of clubs.  Now that the round suits were eliminated, he led a diamond to dummy's ten.  East could win the jack but had to either return a diamond away from the king or give declarer a ruff/sluff for his eleventh trick. 

Copyright ©2008 Larry Matheny.