e-Vil Files 02

So many of us say we don’t like No Trumps, especially 1NT, either from a play or defence point of view. But there is a great deal to be learnt, and gained from, an appreciation of what No Trumps is about. Here is a very ordinary deal I have discussed in a booklet on “Twos and No Trumps”.

Dealer N Nil Vul

	765 742 743 AKT7
983 AQ85 AQ6 864		KJ4 T93 KT852 J2
	AQT2 KJ6 J9 Q953

After two passes, South opens 1NT which is passed out. West leads the five of hearts: “fourth highest of longest and strongest”. This runs round to declarer’s jack and declarer then takes all the clubs, ending in dummy, and then finesses the queen of spades. When that holds, declarer makes 1NT. Pretty much what would happen a lot of the time.

But there is much more to these ‘ordinary’ No Trump hands than we think. Let’s make WEST dealer, and say West opens 1NT. This time, North opens the defence by leading the ace of clubs. This, with most players, asks for “attitude” and South encourages. The defence now take four club tricks, ending in the North hand. North shifts to a spade, through dummy’s KJx and South makes the queen when declarer puts in the jack. Whatever the defence does now, there is only one more trick available, the ace of spades, and declarer has seven tricks: five diamonds and two hearts via a heart finesse.

It seems that South can make 1NT, and so can West. That, after all, is not surprising, since NS and EW have half the points each, and declarer will normally have the edge in the play. But is that so? Should it be so? Would YOU have preferred to be South, or West, as declarer in 1NT? Or would you have preferred to be defending instead?

Not all these questions are answered in the booklet, but it will give the reader an insight into No Trump play. The booklet is available from the Hutt club for $10, $6 to cover printing costs and $4 as a donation to the club, or I can post it for $10 including postage. Much more on this topic will be covered in the coming “eVil Files”.

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