X-Clubs 55
Declarer play is much easier if you follow the basic rules of counting the points, taking finesses where needed, and keeping a close eye on all the cards. And, of course, use all the cards to develop as many tricks as you can. A bit of understanding of your opponents also helps. This deal should have produced 11 tricks in No Trumps for every East irrespective of the bidding or the defence.
Board 7 from Wednesday 8/03/23
Dealer South All Vul
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QT6542
93
A5
Q65Most Norths would open a weak 2S after two passes and East double for takeout. When West bids 3D, East bids 3NT. Or, if North passes, East will open 2NT, raised to game by West. If North opens 2S, South might decide to follow the rules and lead partner’s suit, dummy’s J97 ensuring a third trick and third spade stop for declarer. Declarer should immediately play on diamonds, an obvious source of more tricks. Declarer has solid stops in all the other suits, so can safely try for more tricks from diamonds. If North has opened 2S (6-10 HCP) then the play in diamonds is clear enough: North should have the ace of diamonds, so the best option is to play North for Ax and duck two rounds of diamonds.
Should the opening lead be a low heart, when declarer wins the king, a diamond from hand will see South put in the jack, trying to entice declarer to play the king, but declarer ducks in dummy. Now South leads another heart (the JACK, see what happens if South leads the two!). Declarer wins the heart queen and leads another diamond, queen from South. Declarer is still not persuaded, and ducks again, this time losing to North’s ace. Most defenders will rise with the ace, at least the second time you lead towards a king, so this is another reason, even without a clue from the bidding, to duck again. When North has to win the ace on the second round, three diamond tricks have been established.
I noted that a number of declarers made no more than nine tricks, some even less. Playing a hand requires more than just taking all the top tricks. The fun, and profit, comes from establishing extra tricks while keeping your top tricks as valuable stoppers when the defence will be doing their best to establish their own tricks. This deal is a good example: declarer has seven top tricks but taking them means exactly that: seven tricks, but six for the defence. Give the defence two diamond tricks and declarer now has eleven. Seems a fair trade to me!
