IMPROVE YOUR PLAY

With Larry Matheny

It is usually wrong to allow the opponents to declare a 2-level contract when they have found a fit. The usual tactic is to balance by either bidding a suit or making a takeout double to push the opponents to the 3-level. When this is accomplished, as a rule it is best to defend and hope your effort was successful.

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

Hand #13-03
Dlr	W
Vul	E/W

	QJ42
	754
	K43
	A64

	103
	AK982
	A752
	KJ

	76
	QJ3
	QJ108
	Q872

	AK985
	106
	96
	10953

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

Bidding: North balanced with a takeout double in an attempt to push the opponents. When that was accomplished he was surprised when his partner took another bid. Rather than be content with pushing the opponents up one level, South thought he could make 9 tricks.

Play: West led the top hearts and declarer trumped the third round. He drew trumps followed by a diamond toward the king. West rose with the ace and exited with a diamond. Declarer saw that E/W could make 9 tricks so down one would be a good result. However, he saw a play to make the contract. He won the king of diamonds and ruffed dummy’s last diamond in his hand. With the red suits eliminated, he led ace and another club. West tried his best by following with the king on the first round but it was too late. He won the second club and had to give declarer a ruff/sluff allowing dummy’s other club loser to be discarded. Note it would do no good for East to win the second club with the queen for declarer’s ten would then be promoted.

Although difficult to see, E/W needed to shift to a club earlier in the hand to avoid the endplay.

Copyright ©2013 Larry Matheny