And Off They Went

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday July 4, 2008

Ron Klinger

Often as declarer you cannot be sure of success. You simply have to give it your best shot. This deal arose in Stage 1 of the Australian Open Team Selection:

Round 8 : Board 22

South dealer : North-South vulnerable

NORTH

(1) Weak

Lead: C10

Double dummy declarer has an easy path to ten tricks: win the CK and lead a low spade. Deep Finesse plays so well with all hands on view.

Given West's weak jump-overcall missing the CA, CK and CJ (from the C10 lead), West is highly likely to have a 7-card suit. That makes it unlikely the spades will be 3-3 and the length including the SK figures to be with East.

Matt Mullamphy won trick 1 with the CA and led the SJ: four - two - king.

West continued with the C9, taken by the ace. Then came the DK, diamond to the jack and the DA, followed by the S6, S7 from East.

Finesse the S9 or play for the drop?

Mullamphy placed West with seven clubs and had seen West follow to three rounds of diamonds. He finessed the S9 and had ten tricks for +630 and +9 Imps.

Open datum: N-S 260. Results: 4H three times, all failing; 3NT five times, successful four times. Women's datum:

NS 230. Results: 4H twice, failing; 5H doubled, -500; 3NT three times, making twice; 4S making; E-W 5C doubled, -500.

This deal comes from Stage 2:

Round 11 : Board 6

East dealer : East-West vulnerable

NORTH

--- --- 1D 4H

4S 5H Pass Pass

Dble Pass Pass Pass

Lead: D4

The best hope for declarer is to find West with a doubleton heart and the SA.

Take the DA, discarding a club, not a spade. Even though the lead is obviously a singleton, continue with a second diamond and ruff with the H5. West can over-ruff with the HK and lead a trump.

Take the HA, ruff a diamond and lead a spade. The defence cannot prevent you from setting up dummy's diamonds and ruffing two clubs en route. The other two clubs are discarded on dummy's extra two diamond winners.

If you pitch a spade on the DA and then play a diamond, you are in trouble.

West over-ruffs and leads a trump. You take the HA and ruff a diamond. When you play a spade, West takes the SA and shifts to a club. Without the SK as an entry, you can set up the diamonds, but cannot reach the established diamond winners. You can ruff two clubs and throw one on the SK, but you are left with a club loser at the end for one down.

If you think you are indecisive, how can you be sure?

Tomorrow's problem:

South dealer : Nil vulnerable

West North East South

--- --- --- 1S

4H 4S ?

What should East do with:

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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