Expert Routine

This deal is from the quarterfinal of the 2026 USBC Mixed Team Trials.

Too many East-West experts erred on what should be "expert routine."

Vul: East-West Dlr: West	107  84  K9876  9732
KJ63  AKQ96  A104 Q		Q9542  J107532  Q2  --
	A8  --  J53  AKJ108654

Atfer wild competitive auctions, all tables ended up with South declaring a doubled club contract. (East-West can make 11 tricks in a major-suit contract losing only the A and a diamond). The sacrifices of 6 (and in some cases, even 7, a "phantom") were defeated (although not always to the max). At one table, South actually made 5X.

Declarer has to lose a spade and should lose two diamonds. At all tables, the lead was a heart, rufffed. Declarer drew the outstanding trump and led a low diamond towards dummy.

At one table, West inexplicably grabbed the ace! Even my newest students know second-hand low. Now, 12 tricks were available, but declarer didn't work it out.  At all other tables, West properly played second-hand low and dummy's K won.

Now, declarer trumped the other heart and exited with the ace and another spade. The diamonds were blocked, so the defense could take only one diamond trick. A ruff-and-sluff let declarer get rid of the other diamond loser. This meant +550 at one table, and minus only 100 at others.

It surprised me (you'd think I would have lowered my expectations over the years) that so many East "experts" failed to find what should be a routine unblocking play. On dummy's K, they should throw their queen. Now the defense can collect both diamond tricks without trouble. If this is your first time seeing this combination, put it in your memory bank. Throwing the queen isn't likely to hurt, but keeping it can!