An Opportunity Gratefully Accepted by Tony Truluck |
Many of us wait a long time for one of those deals that we read about in the text books. It is frightening to contemplate just how many of them are mis-bid, mis-played or just not recognised by the players at the table. Occasionally, one such deal arrives and the full potential of the hand is realised. Sitting West, I was playing at the Mayfield club with Sean O'Neill in the East seat.
The Complete deal
| AKJ10
102
KJ983
72
| |
83
Q54
72
KQ9643 |
N/S VUL Dealer N |
97652
J763
AQ10
5 |
| Q4
AK98
654
AJ108 | |
The Bidding
NORTH | EAST | SOUTH | WEST |
1![](http://www.mayfieldbridge.co.uk/Big D_OB.jpg) | Pass | 1![](http://www.mayfieldbridge.co.uk/BigHB.jpg) | Pass |
1![](Big S_BB.jpg) | Pass | 3NT | Pass |
Pass | Pass | | |
The club King lead was won by South's ace and a small diamond was led to the 9 and 10. If East now woodenly plays a heart, 10 tricks materialise as declarer wins with with the King, unblocking dummy's 10. A diamond to the Jack, loses to East's Queen, and a further heart is ducked to West, who has no option but to lead a spade. Now, declarer can easily set up diamonds and still has a spade entry.
East, being alert to this option, had to assume that south had two or less spades, and that his partner also appreciated this position, so at trick 3, returned a spade to dummy's tenace. Declarer won in hand, played a 2nd diamond to East, who then returned another spade to cut declarer off from the diamonds.
Declarer, now cashed dummy's last two spades, to leave this position. The club 7 was now played from dummy to South's ten, East discarding a heart.
| ![](Big S_BB.jpg)
102
K83
7
| |
![](Big S_BB.jpg)
Q54
![](Big D_OB.jpg)
Q96 |
|
9
J763
A
![](Big C_PB.jpg) |
| ![](Big S_BB.jpg)
AK9
![](Big D_OB.jpg)
J108 | |
E/W need 3 more tricks to defeat the contract:
-
(1) If West wins & returns a low heart, declarer wins, plays the heart Ace, and throws West back in with the 3rd heart to endplay
him, thereby winning a further two club tricks.
-
(2) If West exits with the heart Queen to South's King, the club Jack is cashed and west is now endplayed with the last club.
However, West ducked the club 10! When declarer then cashed the heart Ace and King, West jettisoned the Queen under the King to allow East to win with the heart Jack when a third round of hearts was subsequently played. It was reasonable for West to assume that his partner had the Jack as declarer had not tried the heart finesse. East gratefully cashed two more tricks with the diamond Ace and 13th spade. Contract one down!