IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

As declarer, one of your most important tasks is to locate the opponents' honor cards.  However, there are hands when played properly that will succeed no matter who holds the missing high cards.  Take a look at this hand.  

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs)
 
Hand #29
Dlr  W
Vul N/S
S 975
H A4
D 1052
C J8543
S KQJ104
H J953
D KQ3
C K
    
S 8632
H Q10762
D 874
C 10

S A
H K8
D AJ96
C AQ9762
West North
 East
 South
1S Pass
 3S* 4C
   Pass     5C All Pass     
*Weak

BIDDING:   After East's preemptive raise, South bid 4C.  Entering the auction vulnerable at the four-level showed a good hand so North made a brave raise to game.  South was tempted to bid more but didn't want to punish his partner for competing.

PLAY:  West led the king of spades won by South.  Declarer saw he had two possible diamond losers and perhaps another in the club suit.  He thought if either opponent was void in clubs it would be East so he laid down the ace and was relieved to see the king fall.  The bidding made it likely that West held both diamond honors but declarer saw that it didn't matter.  He played the king and ace of hearts followed by a spade ruff with a high trump.  He then led a club to dummy to ruff the last spade high in his hand.  He next led a low club to dummy followed by a diamond to his nine.  West won but was end-played.  He could return a diamond into South's AJ or lead another suit allowing declarer to discard a diamond from dummy as he ruffed in his hand.  Since no one bid the slam and no one was +630 in a (very) lucky 3NT, making the overtrick for +620 was a good result.

Since the goal was to lose only one diamond trick, taking two diamond finesses would have succeeded if East held one of the two missing honors (75% of the time).  However, the elimination and end-play was a winner no matter who held the king or queen.   Look for ways to avoid finesses.

Copyright ©2007 Larry Matheny.