Slow Down #09-22

IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

Sometimes you are dealt a hand so powerful you are sure slam is likely. However, after bidding the slam you must also possess the skill to bring it home. Take a look at this challenge.

Scoring: Knockout Teams (IMPs)

Hand #22
Dlr	E
Vul	None

	AK832
	AKQ52

	AQ10

	6
	J1098643
	J864
	7

	J7

	AKQ953
	K9865

	Q10954
	7
	1072
	J432

West	North	East	South
		1	Pass
3	DBL	Pass	3
Pass	4	Pass	4
Pass	5	DBL	6
Pass	Pass	Pass

BIDDING: North loved his great hand but his enthusiasm was dimmed a bit by the early auction. North made a takeout double and after his partner's minimum bid in spades, he decided to cue bid the opponent's suit. His partner showed no extras, so North cue bid again as East doubled requesting a heart lead. This time South woke up and decided he held a much better hand than perhaps he had shown and, trusting partner, bid the slam. East-West have a great diamond fit but partner's heart preempt deterred East from taking another call.

PLAY: West led the jack of hearts and declarer stopped to analyze the hand. It was clear East needed the club king for his opening bid so that was one loser. However, he could discard two diamonds on the hearts and ruff the other in dummy so he saw no problem with the contract. As is always a good habit, declarer then reviewed the auction for any additional information. It seemed a certainty that West held seven hearts and that along with the lead directing double, meant East had none. It would seem there was a heart loser along with a club trick, but declarer saw a solution -- he ducked the first heart lead! Next, declarer ruffed the heart continuation, drew trumps, and discarded his three small clubs on the heart honors. The heart jack was his only loser.

So often players do not use the auction to guide them to the best play of the hand. Here, the solution became obvious but not to those who play too quickly to trick one.

Copyright ©2009 Larry Matheny.