LEARNING CENTER

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This deal was played in an online matchpoint game during the height of Covid-19. Both sides vulnerable, South held:

 3  
 AK642  
 QJ109  
 AK10.

He opened 1, LHO passed and partner made a limit raise to 3. RHO came in with 3 and South bid 4. LHO bid 4 and responder went to 5. That bought the contract and a spade was led:

Q  8753  AK2  87532

3  AK642  QJ109  AK10

East won the K and switched to the 9. Declarer won the ace and played the top trumps. A 2-2 break would have made life easy, but West showed out on the second round. Now what?

As long as East doesn't have three clubs, the contract can easily be made. Do you see how? Cross to dummy in diamonds and lead a second club. If East trumps (on air), the deal is over. If East follows (hopefully from an original doubleton), win the K and start running diamonds. If East shows out on the second club, also win the K and start running diamonds.

 

 

 

What happens to the club loser? Let's look at the Real Deal.

Vul:Both Dlr: South	Q  8753  AK2  87532
J9865  10  853  QJ64		AK10742  QJ9  764  9
	3  AK642  QJ109  AK10

When the second round of clubs is led from dummy, East has no good answer. Let's say he throws a diamond (as good as anything). Declarer wins the K and continues diamonds. Eventually, East is out of diamonds, but when he ruffs, he has only spades left. He has to play a spade and declarer throws the 10 and trumps in dummy. What if East refuses to ruff a diamond? No problem. Declarer throws him in with the good trump.

Plus 650 is better than the 500 that was available against 4X down two.

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