Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 03/01/2024
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
For the eight month in a row, we are at the Senior Team Trials. Try playing with the South cards here:
2
J9872
J43
KJ109.
Partner opens 2 and you wait with 2. LHO overcalls 2 and you eventually land in 6:
J9765
AKQ
AK5
AQ
|
| |
2
J9872
J43
KJ109
|
The A is led (East follows with what looks to be the singleton king) and West shifts to a low trump, won in dummy.
Now what? Can you find anything better than hoping the Q falls? How about throwing a diamond from dummy on the clubs and trying to ruff a diamond in dummy? Sounds like a lot of good breaks would be needed.
My teammate played skillfully. He drew trump (they were 3-2), ruffed another spade in hand (LHO started with AQ10xxx) and he ran winners. This was the Real Deal:
As you can see, on the run of the clubs and hearts, West was squeezed. He had to keep a high spade, so he threw his diamonds. Now, declarer was able to take 3 diamond tricks for +980.
Skillful yes, but not the best line of play. As so often happens, even experts miss a dummy reversal.
With hearts breaking 3-2, there was no need for this squeeze. The contract can be made even if East holds the Q!
Declarer should win the trump switch and ruff a spade in hand. Another trump to dummy reveals the 3-2 split. (If trumps were 4-1, then declarer would indeed have to draw trump and resort to the squeeze line).
In dummy with the second trump, declarer simply ruffs a spade, crosses in a minor and ruffs the last spade. Now he crosses to dummy to draw the last trump (throwing a low diamond) and claims. Try it!
