IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

Bridge is a fascinating game because it offers so many different challenges.  Here is a hand that is interesting for the declarer as well as the defenders.

Scoring:  Teams (IMPs)
 
Hand #15
Dlr  E
Vul none
S K82
H J843
D QJ764
C 10
S QJ96
H Q106
D AK10
C 952
    
S 105
H AK9752
D 8532
C 4

S A743
H
D 9
C AKQJ8763
West North
 East
 South


2H 5C
All Pass   
  
   

BIDDING:   It's difficult to know exactly what to bid with the South hand, but in a recent team game I jumped to 5C over the weak 2H bid.  I wanted to jam the auction as much as possible and, of course, hoped to make the contract.
 
PLAY:   West led a top diamond and then switched to a heart.  I ruffed the heart, led a club to dummy's ten, and played the diamond queen pitching a spade loser.  West won and returned a spade which I won in my hand.  I drew trumps and went to dummy with a spade to discard my remaining spade loser on the jack of diamonds.  That was easy. 

If West starts with a heart lead instead, the hand can still be made.  You simply ruff and lead a diamond.  West must win and the play develops as with the diamond lead. 

However, the defense can prevail.  If West starts with the unlikely opening lead of a spade and then plays a second one at his next opportunity, I can no longer make the hand.  It looks like West can be squeezed in spades and diamonds, but the second spade breaks it up.  So while it's usually right to lead your partner's suit or try first to cash an AK, sometimes it doesn't work.

Copyright ©2007 Larry Matheny.