IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

 

 

Trump management is an important part of the game.  It’s often correct to draw the trumps right away but with some hands, there may be a reason for delay.  This hand shows that two rounds of trumps were just right but a third one would have been fatal.

 

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

#10-34

Dlr

E

Vul

E/W

S

A974

H

AK97

D

2

C

AK53

S

KQ10

H

652

D

Q85

C

1084

  pad  

S

65

H

Q43

D

AJ104

C

J962

 

S

J832

H

J108

D

K963

C

Q7

West

North

East

South

  

   

  Pass

  Pass

   Pass

    1C

  Pass

    1S

  Pass

    4D*

  Pass

    4S

    Pass      Pass    Pass       

   

    *splinter

 

 

BIDDING:  North’s jump showed game-going values along with diamond shortness. Holding a minimum hand, South had no interest in moving beyond game.

 

PLAY:  West led a low diamond won by East with the ace.  East switched to a club won by South’s queen.  Since the third heart could be discarded on a good club, declarer saw only three top losers: two spades and one diamond.  At trick three declarer led a small spade and ducked in dummy.  West won the ten and continued with a small heart.  Declarer won with dummy’s ace and then cashed the ace of spades.  It was now easy to ditch a heart on the third round of clubs and start cross-ruffing the hand.  East could trump in at some time but declarer had his ten tricks.

 

Note that if declarer had played ace and another spade, a third round by the opponents would have left him one trick short. 

 

 

Copyright ©2010 Larry Matheny