January 2012 - 53

advanced players section

My Bridge and Yours
In a regional Swiss teams, only our
side is vulnerable, and as South, the
dealer, I hold:
K Q 10 K 4 A 8 3 K 10 9 6 4
This is a chunky 15-point hand with
a five-card suit, mostly prime values
and two 10s. Even if I were playing
a range of 16 to 18 points, I wouldn't
hesitate to open 1NT. As it is, our
range is 15 to 17, so I open 1NT and
am prepared to accept an invitation to
game if my partner issues one.
West passes, and my partner considers and raises to 3NT, passed out.
We have had a prosaic auction. West
leads the J.
"You should have a play for it," my
partner says drily as he tables the
dummy.
852
AQ52
Q4
AJ52
 K Q 10
K4
A83
 K 10 9 6 4
At matchpoints, North would have
used Stayman to look for a 4-4 heart
fit, where a valuable overtrick or second overtrick might be available. At
IMPs, he simply raised to the notrump
game. He expects to make it on power
- he has extra high-card strength -
and a foul trump split or a defensive
ruff might endanger 4.
He's right about 3NT: If I go down
with all these values, I'll have some
explaining to do. An attribute of a

good declarer is that he never messes
up an easy contract, so I need to
prove my worth. I seem to have plenty
of winners - at least four clubs, three
hearts, a diamond and at least one
spade. Can I invent a line of play to go
down?
Having thought it through, I win the
first heart with the king, take the K
and lead a second club. When West
follows low, I play dummy's jack ...
and East discards a spade.
The contract is safe, so I lead a
spade to my king next. West takes the
ace and leads another heart. I cash
dummy's A-Q and try a second spade
to my 10. That wins, so I take the Q,
three more clubs and the A. I have
managed a couple of overtricks.

A6
 J 10 9 7
J762
Q87

852
AQ52
Q4
AJ52
N

W E
S

J9743
863
 K 10 9 5
3

 K Q 10
K4
A83
 K 10 9 6 4

The deal seemed to be routine, but
believe it or not, we gained 13 IMPs.
In the replay, at the same contract,
South found a way to go down: He
won the J opening lead and cashed
the A K.
When East discarded, South was
in difficulty. If he gave up a club, he
would have only eight tricks, and

Frank Stewart
frs1016@centurylink.net
West might shift to diamonds, setting
up five tricks for the defense.
So South tried leading the Q. If
he had stolen a spade trick, he could
have switched back to clubs. Luckily, our West player was awake: He
grabbed the A and led the 2. That
looked like the only chance to beat
the contract - and it did.
At my table, I would have been safe
for nine tricks even if East had held
the Q. I would have eight tricks
established, and either a spade or a
diamond shift by East would give me
nine. A heart return would give me
time to set up a spade trick for nine
in all.
The lesson of the deal is clear:
When you're declarer at a contract
that looks like a snap, ask yourself,
"What can go wrong?"
r

www.acbl.org
January 2012 Bridge Bulletin

53
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2012
