IMPROVE YOUR PLAY

with Larry Matheny

In a team game, the state of your match may require you to take aggressive action. In this match I knew we were behind when this hand came up.

Scoring: IMPs (Teams)

#12-07
Dlr	S
Vul	none

	A83
	K92
	AQ32
	AQ5

	K5
	87
	KJ9874
	KJ4

	109762
	63
	1065
	972

	QJ4
	AQJ1054
	10863

West	North	East	South
			1
2	3	Pass	4
Pass	6	Pass	Pass
Pass

BIDDING: I was sitting North with only two hands left in the match. We had two bad results and I estimated we were down around 10 IMPs. Since I knew we needed a good result, I was excited when my partner opened the bidding. I liked my hand even more when West bid diamonds. I cue bid diamonds showing a limit+ raise of hearts and my partner jumped to game to show a sound opener. (It turns out he was also pushing a bit.) I leaped to the slam.

PLAY: West led a low heart and my partner stopped to analyze the hand. The overcall strongly suggested both black kings would be on-side and this would give him a chance. He won the opening lead in his hand and took the club finesse. After the queen won, he followed with the ace and a third round of clubs. Both followed with West winning the king. My partner won the heart return and took the winning spade finesse. He now only had to discard a spade on the ace of diamonds and score up the slam.

At the other table the N/S pair stopped in game so we won 11 much needed IMPs and were now back in the match.

Copyright ©2012 Larry Matheny