Improve Your Play #06-42

IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

When you play matchpoint bridge every overtrick is important. This is true even when you are in a slam. Take a look.

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

Hand #42
Dlr	E
Vul	E/W

	A1098
	865
	Q10974
	K

	QJ32

	K653
	QJ1063

	654
	J42
	J8
	98752

	K7
	AKQ10973
	A2
	A4

West	North	East	South
		Pass	2
Pass	2*	Pass	3
Pass	4	Pass	6
All Pass

*Controls: one ace and one king

BIDDING: This partnership shows controls (aces and kings) in response to a strong 2

opening bid. After discovering heart support to go along with an ace and a king, South bid the slam.

PLAY: West led the queen of clubs and declarer quickly saw his only loser was a diamond. Unless the diamond king was singleton or the queen-jack of spades doubleton, the only way to make the overtrick would be a squeeze. South saw that if the West held the diamond king along and length in the spade suit, he could be had. After winning the club lead, declarer drew trumps, played the diamond ace and the club ace, and then ran the rest of his hearts. On the last heart, poor West had to come down to three cards from a holding of

QJ3 and

K. Behind him dummy held

A109 and

Q so whatever West decided to do would yield the thirteenth trick. Note that cashing the diamond ace early makes the ending clear to declarer.

Also notice that the squeeze will not work against East because he discards after dummy. And those pairs who played in 6NT enjoyed the same squeeze opportunity.

Copyright ©2007 Larry Matheny.