To Cover or Not to Cover #09-21

IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

Knowing when to cover a card seems like a simple enough task, but if you aren't concentrating, a momentary lapse can end your chances for a successful defense. Take a look at a hand where a defender allowed declarer to steal a contract.

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

Hand #21
Dlr	W
Vul	None

	AJ76
	A65
	843
	Q83

	KQ85
	Q83
	K1072
	K7

	109432
	K942
	Q96
	2


	J107
	AJ5
	AJ109654

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	1	2
2	3	3	4
Pass	Pass	Pass

BIDDING: This was a typical competitive auction at matchpoints with North-South finally buying the contract at the four-level.

PLAY: West led the king of spades won by dummy's ace as declarer discarded a diamond. East followed with the deuce suggesting a diamond honor; the ten would have shown a heart card. Declarer still had two likely heart losers along with a diamond so his only hope seemed to be a successful club finesse. At trick two he led a club from dummy and was disappointed when West won the king. Next, West led a low diamond to the queen and ace. Declarer's only remaining chance was to find split heart honors along with an error by the defenders. He could either lead a low heart from dummy tempting East to rise with an honor or lead the jack from his hand hoping West would cover. With little confidence, he drew the last trump followed by the jack of hearts from his hand. Without much thought West played the queen and declarer won the ace. Now a low heart from dummy was won by East and declarer's heart ten was his game winning trick. Of course, if West had played low, declarer would have lost two heart tricks.

If the J107 of hearts had been in dummy, most players in the East chair would have known it was wrong to cover the first of a repeatable finesse. However, they often fall victim to the same play when the jack comes from the concealed hand. Defense is tough!

Copyright ©2009 Larry Matheny.