Test Your Play


1. IMPs

Dlr:
East
Vul:
E-W
North
♠ Q 2
A K J 10
A J 8 6 4 2
♣ 2
South
♠ A K J 10 9 8 3
7 6 5 3
♣ K 5
West North East South
Pass 1♠
3♣ 3 Pass 4♠
Pass 4NT Pass 5
Pass 6♠ All Pass

Opening lead: ♣Q. East wins the ♣A and returns the ♣8. Plan the play and be specific.

CLICK HERE FOR SOLUTION

You start with 11 top tricks and have a wonderful chance of establishing a diamond (if they divide 4–3) for your 12th trick. If that doesn’t pan out, there is always the heart suit.

Ruff the ♣K, (assuming 4–3 diamonds, you need the entry to set up the suit), cash the A discarding a heart, and ruff a diamond high. Assuming both follow, cross to the ♠Q and ruff a second diamond. If both follow, diamonds have divided 4–3, so you can draw trumps, cross to a high heart, ruff a diamond and back to a second high heart to discard your remaining heart on an established diamond. No need to deal with the Q when diamonds are 4–3.

A more challenging scenario develops when East turns up with five diamonds precluding diamond establishment. Now your best move is to reduce to this five-card end position, not having touched hearts:

Dlr:
East
Vul:
E-W
North
♠ —
A K J
J 8
♣ —
South
♠ 9 8
7 6 5
♣ —

At this point, you should have a very good idea of East’s remaining five cards: After all, you know that two of them are diamonds. You have a count on spades and assuming clubs are 7–3, you have a count on the hand.

If East has three hearts remaining — any three hearts — play a spade and discard the J. If East discards a diamond, you have the entries to set up a diamond winner. If East discards a heart, your third heart is high after you cash the A K and ruff a diamond to get back to your hand.

If East has two hearts and has not discarded any (meaning he started with a 3=2=5=3 pattern), take the heart finesse.

Finally, if East started with six diamonds, there is no need to ruff any more diamonds; just reduce to the same end position, again having a count on East’s heart length. Anytime the count tells you that East started with one heart (3=1=6=3 or 4=1=6=2), cross to the A, ruff a diamond and take the heart finesse.

2. IMPs

Dlr:
South
Vul:
Both
North
♠ K Q 2
K 7 5 3
10 4 2
♣ K 9 3
South
♠ A J
A 6 4 2
J 7 5 3
♣ A J 6
West North East South
1NT
Pass 2♣ Pass 2
Pass 4 All Pass

Opening lead: ♠10. I know, I know, you wouldn’t have used Stayman and landed in 3NT, a better contract. But this way there is a play problem. Can you see any way out of this mess?

CLICK HERE FOR SOLUTION

There is a chance, but less than a 6% chance, I believe. For openers, you need hearts 3–2, the club finesse to be onside, and diamonds to be blocked!

Win the ♠A, cash the A K, discard a diamond on the third spade, now the ♣K and a club to the jack and assuming the finesse works, cash the ♣A and get out with a heart. If the diamonds are blocked, they won’t be able to cash three diamonds and eventually have to lead a black card, a ruff and a sluff, and you will have brought home this great contract losing two diamonds and a heart. If you get out with a heart before attacking clubs, you give them a chance to untangle their diamond blockage before switching to a club, leaving you zero chance.

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