IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

 

The scoring in a pairs event rewards overtricks.  In fact, the goal is not necessarily to make or defeat a contract but to maximize your plus scores and minimize your minus scores.  Here, a careful declarer kept an eye on the opponents’ cards for the overtrick.

 

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

#11-06

Dlr

E

Vul

E/W

S

KQ3

H

8

D

A9532

C

KQ63

S

9

H

J6

D

QJ74

C

J108542

  pad  

S

J1082

H

107532

D

K6

C

A7

 

S

A7654

H

AKQ94

D

108

C

9

   

  

West

North

East

South

  

 

   Pass

   1S

   Pass

   2D* 

   Pass

   2H

    Pass       2S        Pass      3H

    Pass       4S       Pass    Pass  

    Pass

  

    *Game forcing

 

 

 

 

BIDDING:  South showed a major two-suiter and North bid game.

 

PLAY:  West led the jack of clubs and declarer stopped to analyze the hand.  He saw he would be able to discard his diamond loser on a club honor so if the major suits behaved, he could bring home twelve tricks.  He covered with the king of clubs and East won the ace and returned the suit.  Declarer won discarding his diamond loser followed by ace and a heart ruffed in dummy.  Next, he played dummy’s top trumps and was disappointed when West discarded a club on the second one.  Declarer next played ace and a small diamond ruffed.  He then played the king of hearts and when West discarded, declarer had a clear picture of the East hand.  The four-card ending:

 

                   N/A

N/A                           S-J10

                                 H-107

            S-A7 H-Q9

 

It was easy for declarer to now play ace and a low spade to end play East.  The heart return gave declarer eleven tricks and a good score. 

 

Copyright ©2011 Larry Matheny