IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

To be a good declarer you need to know how to play many different suit combinations.  Here is one that doesn't come up that often.

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs Game)
Hand #9
Dlr   W
Vul E/W
S 94
H J8432
D KJ982
C J
S Q87532
H 107
D 73
C K74
    
S J106
H KQ6
D 10
C Q108653

S AK
H A95
D AQ654
C A92
West North
 East
 South
Pass
 Pass
 Pass
 2NT
   Pass     3D*    Pass
     3H
   Pass
    3NT    Pass
     4H
   Pass
    Pass
    Pass
                                                                         *Jacoby Transfer
                                                                  
BIDDING:  North showed a five-card heart suit and then gave his partner a choice of games.  Holding three hearts, South opted for the suit contract.

PLAY:  West led a low spade won by the ace.  South saw his only possible trouble was in the trump suit.  He could always play ace and a second heart hoping for a 3-2 break but this was matchpoints and overtricks were important.  Then he saw a possible solution; at trick two he led a low heart to dummy's eight and East's queen.  Spades were continued and won by South's king.  Next, declarer played ace and another club ruffing in dummy.  Then he led the jack of hearts from dummy smothering West's ten and making twelve tricks for a great score.

South had just executed his first intra-finesse and he was proud.  But, instead of praise his partner just asked "Should you have bid the slam?".  Oh well, sometimes genius is just not recognized.

Copyright ©2009 Larry Matheny.