When declaring a hand it is important to develop your plan before
playing to the first trick. If you don't, you might fail as
this declarer did when she failed to make the percentage play.
Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)
Hand #32
Dlr
N
Vul
N/S
AKQ72
9
J73
J642
8543
Q1075
K92
85
106
J8632
1086
Q97
J9
AK4
AQ54
AK103
West
North
East
South
1
Pass
4NT
Pass
5
Pass
5NT
Pass
6
Pass
6NT
All Pass
BIDDING: As soon as North
opened, South was determined to bid a slam. She used Blackwood
to find one ace and one king in her partner's hand and then bid 6NT.
PLAY: West led a low
heart and declarer counted ten tricks with potential for two more
tricks in the minors. She won the heart and started on the
spade suit. However, she hadn't stopped to develop a plan,
including what to discard from her hand on the last three spades.
Discarding a heart was easy but then she decided to discard a diamond
and a club. Next she led the jack of diamonds from dummy and
that was her downfall. West won the diamond king and returned a
heart so declarer had to lose a club trick.
A careful look at the problem at trick one would show that the diamond
suit does present the best play but only if you lead from your hand
toward dummy's jack. This play wins anytime the king is in the
West hand and also if the suit divides 3-3. If this play fails,
you still have time to try the club finesse. Note that if the
jack of diamonds wins the trick, rather than rely on a 3-3 break, you
will develop your twelfth trick in clubs.
Many hands offer so many options it's difficult to know which is
best. But, it is always right to stop and think before you
play to trick one.
