LEARNING CENTER

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This deal comes from a New England fan, who in "self-effacing" style, chose to remain nameless. He'll know who he is when he reads this. In a team game, South held:

 

AK7
K4
K43
Q7542
Vulnerable against not, he opened 1NT. West overcalled 2, alerted as showing Clubs and a Major. North bid 4. What's that? It is important to discuss what your bids mean after interference to 1NT. I recommend ignoring artificial doubles or 2 overcalls (unless it shows specifically both majors). To read my treatise on methods after notrump interference, click here.

Assuming you don't like playing in 2-1 fits, you accept the transfer. Your 4 bid buys the contract. The 10 (Standard) is led and you see:

 

 

J98532 2 652 AK3

AK7 K4 K43 Q7542

 

If you trust the lead and bidding, West must hold 10986 and East the singleton J. No doubt, West's major is hearts, and he likely has 5 of them (he wouldn't interfere with only 4-4). West is more likely than East to be short in spades, but running the J is probably too "big" of a play. Better is to win the A (East contributes the J) and play spades from the top. This wins if they are 2-2, or if West has a singleton queen. In fact, the A draws the queen from West and you continue with 2 more trumps, East having started with 10xx. Now what?

 

 

You can run clubs (as expected, they are 4-1) and set up your long club by ruffing the 4th round in dummy. But then what? You'd have to come off dummy in a red suit. If the A is wrong (quite likely on the bidding), you would lose 3 diamonds and a heart.

 

 

There is something much better.  Play the top clubs but on the 4th round do not ruff in dummy. Let West have the trick.  Throw dummy's heart. West now tries the A. Do you ruff? No chance. If you ruff, you will have to play diamonds. Let West have his A as well. He now has a heart trick and a club trick. If he plays more hearts, your long club comes back to life (you throw diamonds from dummy on the K and long club). If West plays diamonds, your K is safe. This was the Real Deal:

 

Vul: N-S Dlr: South	J98532 2 652 AK3
Q AQJ65 AQ9 10986		1064 109873 J1087 J
	AK7 K4 K43 Q7542

As you can see, playing hearts or diamonds yourself, leads to the loss of 4 tricks. Letting West have the 4th club was the way to make the contract.

 

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