IMPROVE YOUR PLAY

With Larry Matheny

The form of scoring in a Pairs event must be considered during the auction. Before bidding a game you must decide if 3NT is best, perhaps four of a major, or even a lowly minor suit game.

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

#13-52
Dlr	E
Vul	E/W

	97
	A94
	AJ764
	A72

	653
	J432
	982
	J93

	84
	1086
	KQ103
	KQ105

	AKQJ102
	KQ5
	5
	864

West	North	East	South
-	-	Pass	1
Pass	2NT	Pass	4
Pass	Pass	Pass

Bidding: North’s 2NT bid showed 13-15 high card points along with a doubleton spade. Sitting South I knew my hand with the solid spade suit would be a good dummy for 3NT, but I also considered the spade game. I finally let the singleton diamond sway me into bidding 4.

Play: West led a low heart and I stopped to analyze the hand. I had 11 top tricks: 6 spades, 3 hearts, 1 diamond, and 1 club. These same tricks were available to those in 3NT so I needed an overtrick. I decided to work on the diamond suit. I won the heart in my hand followed by the ace and a diamond ruffed with a high trump. Next I led the 2 of spades to dummy’s 9 in order to ruff another diamond. I drew the rest of the trumps and then led a heart to dummy’s ace. A third diamond ruff found that suit dividing 4-3 and the jack of diamonds became my 12^th trick. The ace of clubs provided the entry.

I made the right decision because those in 3NT had to settle for 11 tricks. However, an opening club lead would have removed a vital dummy entry and I would have wished I had bid 3NT. Matchpoints is a difficult game.

Copyright ©2013 Larry Matheny