IMPROVE YOUR PLAY

With Larry Matheny

 

As we all know, opening leads are difficult.  It’s not always clear if we need to be passive or aggressive.  The defender in this hand made a dangerous lead and it was very costly.

 

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs)

#14-10

Dlr

W

Vul

E/W

S

10832

H

J1074

D

AJ4

C

AQ

S

 QJ5

H

 KQ2

D

 9853

C

 653

/images/pad.bmp

S

 K

H

 9865

D

 K72

C

 J10872

 

S

A9764

H

A3

D

Q106

C 

K94

 

 

  West

 North

East

South

 Pass     

1D

 Pass

 1S

 Pass

2S

 Pass

 4S

   Pass

   Pass

   Pass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

   

       

   

Bidding:  North-South had a routine auction to game.

 

Play:  West made the aggressive lead of the king of hearts.  Declarer won the ace and immediately returned a low heart.  West won and shifted to a diamond but declarer rose with the ace.  Next, South cashed the ace of spades followed by a club to dummy.  He then discarded a diamond on the jack of hearts and his last one on the 10 of hearts.  West ruffed but declarer lost only 2 spades and 1 heart.

 

Note this is the only lead that will allow declarer to succeed. 

 

 

Copyright 2014