IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

Most people enjoy interfering with the opponents' bidding.  Often this works but sometimes it most certainly doesn't.  This West wished he had quietly passed.

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs)

Hand #49
Dlr   E
Vul N/S
S 107
H 2
D AQJ
C AKQJ964
S 96
H QJ9864
D K10965
C
    
S Q8543
H 1053
D 72
C 873

S AKJ2
H AK7
D 843
C 1052
West North
 East
 South


 Pass  1NT
    2D*    3C        Pass
     3H   
   Pass
    4D     Pass
     4S
   Pass
   4NT
     Pass
     5H
   Pass
   5NT
     Pass
     6H
   Pass
   7NT
All Pass
                                                                        *Hearts & Diamonds

BIDDING:  South's honors were in only two suits but he realized he would likely have rebid problems if he opened anything other than 1NT.  West couldn't resist the opportunity to show his two-suited hand and North smelled slam.  North's club bid was forcing and South showed a had a stopper in hearts but none in diamonds.  North's diamond cue bid showed slam interest and South cooperated by cue bidding spades.  Next North used Blackwood to discover two aces and two kings in his partner's hand and from the auction felt the diamond king was in the West hand. 

PLAY:  West led the queen of hearts and after cashing the top spades honors in case the queen dropped, South took the marked diamond finesse for thirteen tricks.  Most other pairs stopped in a small slam making an overtrick.   West really didn't do anything wrong, that is unless you ask his partner. 

Copyright ©2008 Larry Matheny.