IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

Here is another example of why it is so important to remember the auction when you are declarer. 

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs)
 
Hand #14
Dlr   W
Vul N/S
S 1063
H K974
D J5
C AQ104
S AKQ9
H J102
D 1087
C 972
    
S 7542
H A5
D 9432
C 865

S J8
H Q863
D AKQ6
C KJ3
West North
 East
 South
Pass
 Pass
  Pass 1NT
   Pass    2C    Pass
     2H
   Pass    4H All Pass    

BIDDING:  North used Stayman to discover the 4-4 heart fit and bid game.

PLAY:  West led the top three spade honors with declarer ruffing the last one.  Without giving the problem enough thought, declarer led a low heart to the king and ace.  He had to lose another heart trick to finish down one.  If he had only remembered the bidding, he would have realized the heart ace had to be in the East hand.  If West held that card along with the three top spade honors, he would not have passed.  Since the only way to hold his heart losers to one is to find the ace doubleton, he must go to dummy with a club or diamond and lead a low heart toward his hand.  When the queen wins, he next plays a low heart from both hands and wraps up his game.  This was not difficult.

Copyright ©2007 Larry Matheny.