Delayed Entry #11-30

IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

The honor cards receive most of the headlines but in this hand the lowly deuce and eight played important roles.

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

#11-30
Dlr	N
Vul	E/W

	J42
	J109
	AQ3
	K1085


	K7643
	J10874
	743

	K765
	2
	K9652
	AQ6

	AQ10983
	AQ85

	J92

West	North	East	South
	Pass	1	1
DBL*	2	Pass	3

3 4 Pass Pass

Pass

*negative

BIDDING: With diamonds bid on his left, North discounted his queen in that suit and made a simple raise. However, on the next round he did accept his partner’s help suit game try in clubs. The vulnerability kept E-W from competing higher in diamonds.

PLAY: West led the jack of diamonds and declarer stopped to analyze the hand. The auction made it likely the heart king was off-side and placed East with the missing club honors and the king of spades. Declarer won the ace of diamonds discarding a low heart. He then led the jack of spade and was disappointed when West discarded a diamond. Declarer continued with a spade to his eight. He needed an entry to dummy in order to repeat the spade finesse and East was determined to prevent it. Declarer led the jack of clubs overtaking with the king. Forced to win, East exited with his heart. Declarer won with the ace and played the nine of clubs overtaking with dummy’s ten. Again, East had to win and with no good exit finally selected the king of diamonds. South ruffed and led the deuce of clubs to dummy’s eight. He was now able to lead a third spade and capture East’s king. Declarer still had one trump in his hand and merely had to concede a trick to the king of hearts.