X-Def 05
What happened when this deal was played in a match point session?
Dealer East EW Vul
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T743
Q8
A7652
J3Let’s look at some of the things that did happen, and how and why the results varied.
Firstly: if West raises to 3NT without looking for a major suit fit. When the correct opening lead was found by South, 3NT failed every time. South led a low club and North put up the jack. Declarer had no option but to win the king and then play off the four spades, hoping for some poor discards, but South discarded a diamond while North followed suit. Then, declarer hoped there might be four heart tricks but after just one round, it was apparent that this wasn’t going to happen, so declarer played on diamonds, but North won the ace and shot back the three of clubs for South to take four club tricks: one down. Any other lead against East’s 3NT would have allowed declarer to make 3NT. Some even made an overtrick when South started with the ACE of clubs. A diamond lead was no better, because thanks to dummy’s ten of clubs, declarer always had a club stopper anyway.
Now let’s look at how the play might go when EW are in the correct contract of 4H. If South leads a low club declarer will make overtricks: win the king at trick one, cash two top trumps and then play spades, discarding the two club losers on the third and fourth spade. North can ruff but it is a natural trump trick anyway. The lead of the ace is little better though at least it takes one trick, but when South makes the stand-out lead of the ten of diamonds, North is in a position to read the situation perfectly: South will have either two or three diamonds headed by the 10 and NOT a singleton. Why? East has opened 1NT and then shown four hearts, therefore he can not have FIVE diamonds or the opening bid would have been 1D. North therefore wins the ace and does the obvious: switches to the jack of clubs, and this is because South has not opened up the club suit in the first place. When East covers with the king. South wins the ace, cashes the queen, and leads a third club for North to ruff. At least one down, possibly two if declarer does not guess the trump position and loses a second heart. Plenty of opportunities for both sides in this deal. How would YOU have fared?
