IMPROVE YOUR PLAY

With Larry Matheny

 

When defending at rubber bridge or in a team game, your main objective is to defeat the contract.  In a pairs event with matchpoint scoring, stopping overtricks is also a priority. 

 

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs)

#14-11

Dlr

N

Vul

E/W

S

103

H

AKQ7

D

10842

C

A108

S

 9754

H

 102

D

 AKQJ7

C

 43

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S

 Q

H

 98654

D

 95

C

 QJ976

 

S

AKJ862

H

J3

D

63

C 

K52

 

 

  West

 North

East

South

 Pass     

1D

 Pass

 1S

 Pass

 1NT

 Pass

 4S

   Pass

   Pass

   Pass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

   

       

   

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

 

Play:  West cashed the top two diamonds and stopped to consider the hand.  It seemed likely the contract would succeed but West wanted to stop an overtrick.  To do this East must hold either the king of clubs or a spade honor.  If East held the king of clubs, not much could be done to change the result.  However, if East held a spade honor, West saw a way to create another trick for the defense.  At trick three West led the jack of diamonds.  Not knowing where the queen was, East trumped.  This promoted West’s nine of spades into the third trick for the defense and a good matchpoint score.

 

At other tables most N/S pairs were allowed to bring home eleven tricks.  That is except for the declarers who started drawing trumps by leading dummy’s ten.  When the queen came up singleton, once again West’s nine was promoted.

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2014