IMPROVE YOUR PLAY

With Larry Matheny

 

There are several reasons to enter the auction after the opponents have opened the bidding.  You might want to try to buy the contract, suggest a sacrifice, impede the opponents, or make a lead-directing overcall.  Some players enter for no reason other than they can.

 

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs)

#14-06

Dlr

E

Vul

none

S

1083

H

9

D

AJ765

C

QJ74

S

 AJ965

H

 KQJ7

D

 84

C

 103

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S

 KQ2

H

 854

D

 KQ1092

C

 K9

 

S

74

H

A10632

D

3

C 

A8652

 

 

  West

 North

East

South

 -      

-

1D

  Pass

    1S

 Pass

 1NT

 2H

     DBL

   Pass

   Pass

   Pass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

   

       

   

Bidding:  East-West were on their way to a 4S contract when South decided to enter the auction.  West doubled to end the bidding.

 

Play:  West led a diamond and declarer was lucky to find six tricks for down two.  Since the distribution doomed the spade contracts, this score of +300 was a top for East-West.  On defense against the East-West spade contracts, the North-South pairs usually took the first eight tricks. 

 

It is difficult to understand why South entered the auction.  At least North thought so.

 

 

Copyright 2014