IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

 

Good communication with your partner is essential for effective defense.  Here is a hand where a message was delivered and understood.

 

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

#11-20

Dlr

E

Vul

N/S

S

K10973

H

743

D

Q7

C

A52

S

54

H

1086

D

K98632

C

86

  pad  

S

J8

H

A2

D

J1054

C

KQJ109

 

S

AQ62

H

KQJ95

D

A

C

743

West

North

East

South

   

   

    1C

   1H

 Pass   

   2H

 Pass   

   2S

   Pass       4H         Pass      Pass

   Pass    

   

 

 

 

BIDDING:  After receiving a raise from his partner, South made a help-suit game try in spades.  With a maximum raise and plenty of help in spades, North jumped to the heart game.  It would have been better if he had accepted by raising spades.

 

PLAY:  West led the eight of clubs and declarer won the ace.  A heart was led from dummy and declarer won with the king as West followed with the eight.  Next, declarer led the queen of hearts, West played the six, and East won the ace.  East cashed two top clubs with West following once and then discarding a discouraging diamond.  Judging there was no diamond trick for the defense and that any spade winner would not go away, East played his last club and West’s ten of hearts was soon promoted into the fourth trick for the defense.

 

To make this hand, declarer must go to dummy with a spade to lead the second round of trumps.  Then when the fourth round of clubs is played, declarer can ruff high and then pull West’s ten of hearts.  Note the hi-low in trumps by West showed an odd number so East knew his partner held a third trump.

 

 

Copyright ©2011 Larry Matheny