Defense is a lot easier if you watch the spot cards. This hand is
a great example of careful defense that was essential to win the
match. Take a look.
Scoring: IMPs (Team Game)
Hand #7
Dlr
E
Vul
E/W
95
10
Q95
AKQJ985
874
AJ987
872
43
AJ2
K42
KJ104
1076
KQ1063
Q653
A63
2
West
North
East
South
Pass
1
Pass
2
Pass
2NT
Pass
3NT
Pass
Pass
Pass
BIDDING: The first two
bids were fine but South's rebid of 2NT was rather strange. The
normal rebid would be to show the heart suit. Also, South should
not be so quick to bid NT with a singleton in his partner's suit.
North's good club suit gave him an easy raise to game.
PLAY: West led his
fourth best heart to East's king as declarer followed with the
three. Next, the four of hearts was led covered by the six and
won by the seven. West could tell from the cards that East had
started with the K42. With another heart East would have led the
deuce and with one fewer heart, South would have five and most
certainly would have bid them. Looking at dummy's long club suit,
it was tempting to cash the ace of hearts but this was a team game and
he did not want to give declarer his ninth trick. He shifted to
the eight of diamonds and South was doomed. He could take his
seven club tricks and the ace of diamonds but that was all. East
had no discarding problems on the run of the clubs; he came down to the
ace of spades, a top diamond, and that beautiful deuce of hearts.
It's important to look at the heart suit again to see how West could
read the spots. K42 is the only possible combination in East's
hand. With K54 he would have returned the five and with K542 he
would have led the deuce. Again, this all assumes that South
would have bid a five-card heart suit. Perhaps with this South
that is not a realistic assumption.
