Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 09/01/2023
Level: Intermediate
For the second month in a row, we visit the 2023 Senior Team Trials. On this deal, I was West and my partner David Berkowitz was East:
Vul:E-W
Dlr: East |
 J10954
 6
 876
 KQ74
|
|
AQ87
J1072
J92
109
|
|
632
AK98
AK1054
5
|
| |
K
Q543
Q3
AJ8632
|
|
East opened 1, South overcalled 2 and West made a negative double. With the bad trump split and the Q offside (declarer not likely to guess to drop it), 4 East-West was probably going down. But at both tables in the match, North-South sacrificed in 5 doubled at their favorable vulnerability.
At one table, West led partner's diamonds. East took three high red-suit tricks and the defense should now set it three tricks. East should play a trump and declarer can't manage to ruff all three hearts in dummy (West gets in to lead a second trump). However, East fell from grace and played a spade a trick three; down only 300.
It was more interesting at my table. I led a trump (double-dummy, not the best lead). Declarer won in dummy and played a spade to the king and my ace. I wanted to play a second trump, but that would be a bad idea. I knew declarer could win in dummy and play a high spade for a loser on loser play; he'd throw a diamond and have a ton of tricks (down only 2). Instead, I switched to diamonds and partner took his ace-king to leave:
Vul:E-W
Dlr: East |
J1095
6
8
K74
|
|
Q87
J1072
J
10
|
|
63
AK98
1054
--
|
| |
--
Q543
--
AJ863
|
|
Now what? Declarer has to lose a heart, but can he trump the other 3 hearts in dummy? Not if we could lead a second trump. Out of trump, David considered underleading in hearts (hoping I had the Q). There was no need for such a risk. He simply played a diamond. Declarer ruffed and had to play hearts from his hand. If I had the Q, I'd get in with it anyway.
Declarer had a beautiful counter to this play. After trumping the diamond, he should exit with the Q! If an opponent has the AK and not the remaining trump (as was the case), he'd get out for down only 2. But, he carelessly played a low heart. I played the 10, of course (after all the good work, I didn't want to play a lazy 7 and risk partner having to win the trick) and finally got that second trump on the table. Declarer had to lose a second heart trick for down 500 and 5 IMPs to our team.
Notice that at each table, a 200-point mistake was made (East's non-club play at trick four at the first table and South's non Q play at our table).
