Best Lead Shame About the Rest

Pages: Page 6 of 6

Dealer: North
Vuln: N-S
Scoring: IMPs
  1. spadeQ J 9 3
  2. heartK Q 7 4
  3. diamond6 4 2
  4. clubA 7
  1. spadeA 8 5 4
  2. heartJ 10
  3. diamondA Q 5
  4. club10 5 3 2
club diamond heart spade NT
N 1 3 2 2 2
S 1 3 2 2 2
E - - - - -
W - - - - -
Green square in centre
  1. spade7 6 2
  2. heart9 8 5 3
  3. diamond8 7
  4. clubK J 9 4

Contract: 3NT
Declarer: North
Lead: club4
  1. spadeK 10
  2. heartA 6 2
  3. diamondK J 10 9 3
  4. clubQ 8 6
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
1NT Pass 3NT
Pass Pass Pass
At the table East did not pay enough attention to his partner's cards and threw a heart on the fourth spade. That was +600 to North-South. West might have given East another, possibly better, indication about what to keep. If he ducks two rounds of spades then North has to return to heartK to cash the remaining spade after West has taken spadeA and clubQ has been forced out. When West plays heartJ on the first heart it should be clear to East that North has four hearts.

It was a shame for East to go wrong in the middle game because he had found the best lead. Amazingly enough not one pair defeated 3NT - all the other Easts had opted for a passive heart or spade. This had not necessarily been fatal, but the failure to find a club switch had given declarer an easy time.
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