IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

In a pairs event too many players play bridge rather than matchpoints.  Believe me when I say matchpoints is a different game.  Making your contract may not be an issue; rather you need to achieve the greatest plus or smallest minus possible.  This hand is a good example.

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs)
 
Hand #2
Dlr   E
Vul N/S
S Q1063
H J7652
D AQ8
C 7
S 82
H Q43
D 964
C AQ932
    
S A5
H K1098
D 7532
C K105

S KJ974
H A
D KJ10
C J864
West North
 East
 South


 Pass
 1S
   Pass     4C*     Pass     4S
All Pass


*splinter bid

BIDDING:  In this partnership, North's leap to 4C showed four-card spade support, shortness in clubs, and around 9-12 HCP.  South had no interest in getting higher and signed off in game.

PLAY:  Realizing South may have to ruff some clubs, West led a low trump to his partner's ace.  A second round of spades followed as declarer stopped to analyze his position.  He saw the contract was not in jeopardy as he had ten tricks with four spades, one heart, three diamonds, and two club ruffs in dummy.  But, he also saw that if the outstanding hearts divided 4-3, he could make a valuable overtrick.  After winning the second spade in his hand he unblocked the ace of hearts and conceded a club.  Declarer won the diamond return in dummy and ruffed a heart.  Next he led another diamond to dummy to ruff another heart.  He still had two dummy entries with club ruffs to establish dummy's fifth heart.  Scoring +650 instead of only +620 earned a lot of matchpoints.

Notice there is nothing difficult about this hand but so many declarers worry only about making their contract rather than looking for the best matchpoint score.

Copyright ©2007 Larry Matheny.