Four Tricks Easier Than Eleven

Pages: Page 5 of 5

Dealer: West
Vuln: E-W
Scoring: IMPs
  1. spade10 8 6 3
  2. heartK 4 2
  3. diamondK Q 9 2
  4. clubA 8
  1. spade9 2
  2. heart10 8 7 5
  3. diamond10 8 4
  4. clubJ 9 5 4
club diamond heart spade NT
N - - - 3 2
S - - - 3 2
E 4 - 3 - -
W 4 - 3 - -
Green square in centre
  1. spade—
  2. heartA Q J 9
  3. diamondA 7 6 3
  4. clubK Q 10 6 3

Contract: 4spadex
Declarer: South
Lead: club5
  1. spadeA K Q J 7 5 4
  2. heart6 3
  3. diamondJ 5
  4. club7 2
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
Pass 1NT* 2spade~ 4spade
Pass Pass Dble Pass
Pass Pass

* 10-12
~ transfer to clubs(!)

Quite simple really - South should play low at trick one! That simple safeguard would ensure that West would not regain the lead and the defence would not be able to take more than one heart trick. At the table, declarer won at trick one, drew trumps and played on diamonds. When East won the ace, he underled his club honours to put West in with the nine. A heart through gave the defence four tricks. E-W + 100 but no swing and an opportunity missed.

West could have made a good secondary choice with his opening lead - either clubJ or club9, but this would still have required some brave defence from East to defeat the contract.
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