LEARNING CENTER

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This deal was played in the 2015 Southeastern Regional in Fort Lauderdale. In a knockout match, South held:

 K987  
 52  
 98752  
 96
. Both vulnerable, his partner opened 2 and RHO doubled (showing clubs). Regular partnerships have agreements here as to what Pass and 2 mean (Redouble is presumably for business). South passed (guaranteeing at least a king in his methods) and LHO bid 2. With no further noise from those pesky opponents you reach 5 and receive the K lead:

Vul:Both Dlr:N	J52  AKJ10  AKQ  A32
	K987  52  98752  96

 The opposing bidding has helped. Without their interference, surely it would have gone 2-2-2NT-3-3-3NT. That contract is likely doomed since the spades (as you know from your auction) are likely behind the K, so there is no entry to the diamonds even if they are 3-2.

In 5, you'd better win the club at trick one. You'll need to get rid of your other small club on the hearts and hope for some luck in the spade suit (you can afford to lose 2, but not 3 spade tricks). After taking the A, you test diamonds and they are 3-2. Should you draw all the trump? No. You need to keep one high trump in dummy as an entry.

So, after the AK, you play the top hearts and then the J on which East cooperatively contributes the Q. You ruff and cross back to dummy (RHO has the 3rd trump). On the 10 you throw your club to leave:

 

	J52 -- -- 32
	K987 -- 9 --

Now what? You will need to get 2 spade tricks. From the auction, you expect West to have 5 spades. If I tell you he started with AQ10xx (a reasonable bet), can you see your way home?

You can ruff a club (removing West's last club) and then lead a spade from your hand. West remains with AQ10x in spades. Whatever he does, he gets only two tricks and you get your two to make your game. (If he plays the queen and then the ace, you unblock dummy's jack. If he plays low, you let the spade from your hand win the trick).

This was the Real Deal:

 

 

 

Vul:Both Dlr:N	J52  AKJ10  AKQ  A32
AQ1063  9863  J3  K7		4  Q74  1064  QJ10854
	K987  52  98752  96

As long as declarer (using the auction as his guide) plays accurately, there is no defense to set the contract.

 

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