IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

Every trick is important at matchpoints but too many players merely try to make their contract without looking for those valuable overtricks.  Here is a hand when declarer missed an easy opportunity.

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs Game)

Hand #32
Dlr   E
Vul E/W
S KQ54
H 86543
D 10974
C
S 6
H KJ9
D Q2
C AQ109653
    
S 10
H Q102
D KJ865
C J742

S AJ98732
H A7
D A3
C K8
West North
 East
 South


Pass
 1S
    2C    4S     5C     5S
All Pass
      


BIDDING:  The auction started quietly enough until North jumped to the four-level.  East wasn't sure who could make what but he raised his partner and then South closed the auction. 

PLAY:  With no attractive lead, West settled on the ace of clubs.  This delighted South who quickly trumped in dummy, drew trumps, and claimed eleven tricks conceding a heart and a diamond.  If he had slowed down a bit he would have realized there was a good chance of setting up dummy's heart suit for a diamond discard.  With the opponents' hearts dividing 3-3 this would have been simple.  In a small, local game two pairs made six while four pairs took only eleven tricks.  Another was doubled in four and found only one overtrick and the last pair called a wrong card and went down in five spades.  This hand should not be that difficult.

It takes a diamond lead to hold the contract to eleven tricks but I can't believe the lead was found from Q2.  It's difficult to succeed at matchpoints if you use rubber bridge methods.

Copyright ©2008 Larry Matheny.