A Solid 1430

Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 07/01/2020
Level: Intermediate

This deal comes from the 2019 U.S. Team Trials. Take the cards of a recent HOF-inductee Peter Boyd:

♠ AQ10765
♥ AKQ3
♦ 6
♣ 92

He opened 1♠ and his long-time partner Steve Robinson responded 2♠ (2/1 GF, of course). It is almost always a good idea to introduce a 4-card suit here, especially when it is a major--and a very good suit, to boot. Boyd bid 2♠ and his partner raised to 3♠. Such a raise is stronger than a "closeout" jump to 4♠. Accordingly, Boyd looked for slam and after some control-bids and RKC, landed in 6♠ with the ♠Q lead:

♠ K
♥ 9762
♦ 872
♣ AKQ43
 
♠ AQ10765
♥ AKQ3
♦ 6
♣ 92

The defense played two rounds of diamonds, and Boyd trumped with his ♠3. What next?

Should declarer work on spades or clubs? Clearly, spades. Each suit has 7 cards with the AKQ, but spades also has the 10. Much more importantly, if clubs aren't 3-3, a club would need to be ruffed with a high heart--and this would almost surely set up a defensive heart trick.

Given that spades is the suit to work on, what is the order of play? We have to assume hearts are 3-2 (if 4-1, we've bid too much). If hearts behave and spades aren't horrendous (like Jxxxx in one hand), all should be okay.

Declarer crossed to the ♠K and then drew two rounds of trump, happy to see everyone follow. Drawing the last trump would be relying on spades to run. Much better is to now trump a low spade in dummy. After that, play dummy's last trump to declarer's last trump, drawing the defender's last trump. That's a lot of lasts. Here was the Real Deal:

Vul:Both
Dlr: South
♠ K
♥ 9762
♦ 872
♣ AKQ43
 
♠ J843
♥ 84
♦ QJ103
♣ J107
  ♠ 92
♥ J105
♦ AK954
♣ 865
  ♠ AQ10765
♥ AKQ3
♦ 6
♣ 92
 

Nothing fancy, just good bidding judgment and careful declarer play and a solid +1430.