An Uncommon Deal from the Common Game

Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 10/01/2022
Level: Intermediate to Advanced

This month, we take a look at a Real deal from a recent Common Game. The hand is rotated for convenience as we pick up the South cards.

DUMMY (North)

♠ AKQ
♥ 102
♦ 106
♣ AK9652

 

DECLARER (SOUTH)

♠ 10865
♥ AKJ
♦ K94
♣ Q74

Our opening of 1♠ certainly surprises partner. West overcalls 1♠ and partner should start by bidding 2♠ as a cuebid raise. East doubles to show a diamond honor and we have a balanced minimum with a diamond stopper, so we bid 2NT. Now what should partner do? The only choices that look reasonable are 3NT, 4NT (quantitative) or 6♠. 3♠ would be non-forcing.

At matchpoints, looking for 5♠ is a losing proposition. Opening bids being quite light these days, let’s have North take the low road with 3NT. LHO leads the ♠5. And you see a good dummy.  A low diamond from dummy goes to the ♠J and ♠K. Now should you start clubs or spades? If you try clubs, maybe someone pitches away a spade, so let's start with our long suit.

Lead the ♠Q from this holding, since if West has ♠J1083, you can take a marked finesse on the next round (you can’t do anything if East has all of the clubs). Everyone follows, so now it is just a matter of maximizing the overtricks. You start to run the clubs (throwing both diamonds) until you reach this position:

   

DUMMY

♠ AKQ
♥ 102
♦ 10
♣ 2

 

DECLARER

♠ 10865
♥ AKJ
♦
♣

If you play another club now, will you know what to pitch? No. Since you don’t, you should play off your side suits to see what happens. Play a heart to the ace (so you can see if someone has bared the ♠Q) and then the A,K, Q of spades. This is the full deal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vul:None
Dlr: South
♠ AKQ
♥ 102
♦ 106
♣ AK9652
 
♠ 42
♥ Q763
♦ AQ852
♣ J3
  ♠ J973
♥ 9854
♦ J73
♣ 108
  ♠ 10865
♥ AKJ
♦ K94
♣ Q74
 

As you can see, the spades don’t split, but with East holding onto them, you know you can pitch your useless ♠10 on the final club. With the ♠10 and ♠10 in dummy and the ♠KJ of hearts in your hand, what should West hold on to? Enjoy watching him squirm. If he gets rid of a heart, then you play to your ♠K and if he gets rid of the ♠A, dummy's ♠10 will be good. Making 7!

East could have prevented this squeeze by withholding his ♠J at trick one, but that isn’t a play any mortal would find. Playing in 5♠ would have resulted in a below average score, while 3NT making 6 was good for 70%.  3NT making 7 was worth 83%.