Play on 30WED
It is so much easier to play a hand if you know what your opponents' cards are, do you not agree? I discussed the bidding of this hand in the previous article. Now I wish to discuss the play.
From Wednesday 27/07/2016
Board 18 Dealer E NS Vul
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Q
Q8764
J863
964Against 4S by East, South leads the jack of hearts. That is after having overcalled with 2C when East has opened the bidding with 1S. I KNOW that many Wednesday players make very strange leads, so let me emphasise the importance of leading the HIGHER or HIGHEST of touching honours, otherwise your poor partner will have no idea about the cards you hold. I have recently seen some people leading the jack from QJ or even KQJ but given that South is a sensible person, you would not expect him to have the queen as well, so the jack is likely to be a singleton is it not? Or even from Jx. In any case, you should win the ace in dummy, because that will leave you sitting over North's queen with your K9. The opening lead has therefore been helpful, but you could have done the same thing anyway, playing the ace first and seeing the jack fall from South.
So, let's say your problem of a possible heart loser has been solved. Next, you play on trumps and when North produces the queen you win the king, but when you play the ace, North shows out and you have a trump loser. So you must next negotiate the club suit for only one loser but that is easy if you know that South has the ace: simply lead a low one towards the king and South will have to let you make it if he has the ace, which is more than likely. A simple version of a 'finesse'. Later you can try leading the nine of diamonds and if South does not rise with the ace, you will make an extra trick.
All should be very simple if you just apply basic declarer play principles to your play.
