HOMEPAGE > QUIZ > HAND OF THE WEEK > WEEK 44

Dealer : West
Vuln : East-West

HAND OF THE WEEK #44
A Simple Solution by Matthew Granovetter

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     North
    A 10 4
    K Q
    A K J 6
    A 10 6 2
West
K Q J 8 2
9 6
8 7
Q J 9 8
East
7 6 5 3
J 8 3 2
9 4 3 2
7
 

   South You
    9
    A 10 7 5 4
    Q 10 5
    K 5 4 3

In a world championship, two declarers misplayed
the hand. After winning the lead in dummy and playing
a club to the king and another club (West following
with the jack), they won in dummy with the ace. The
declarers were now in big trouble, and could only
make the contract via double-dummy play. (For fun,
see if you can figure out how to make 6 after
winning the second round of trumps with the ace.
Answer below.)

The right play is to let West win the jack of clubs on
the second round. If the clubs are 3-2, you lose
nothing by ducking. But if they are 4-1, you can ruff
a spade and finesse West's queen of clubs, eventually
discarding a spade on your ace of hearts.

Answer to Double-Dummy Question
As the cards lie, to make 6, after winning the ace
of clubs at trick three, you must cash two hearts
and two diamonds, ending in your hand, then lead
the ace of hearts. West cannot ruff this (else you
overruff and play high diamonds). On the ace of
hearts you discard a diamond from dummy; then
you ruff a heart in dummy and ruff a spade in your
hand. At trick 11, you lead your last heart. West
can't ruff this successfully either, so you throw
dummy's last diamond. In the two-card ending,
you lead a diamond from your hand, scoring the
10 of trump en passant.

Have a nice weekend!

South
— 
3*
4 
5 

West
pass
pass
pass
pass

North
2NT
3
4
6

East
pass
pass
pass
all pass

*Transfer
Opening lead: K

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