Tricky Answers (10)
You are South each time. These questions arose in a recent Multigrade tournament.
1. Match Points Dealer E All Vul
Your hand:
 T |
 K73 |
 AT543 |
 KJ92 |
The bidding has been:
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Pass | Pass | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | Pass | 3NT |
| Pass | 4 | Pass | Pass |
| Pass |
You have not asked any questions because you suspect opponents don’t know what they’re doing, and if they do, you don’t want declarer to pick up any inferences about your hand.
a) What do you make of opponents’ bidding?
b) What would you lead?
Best not to ask questions. If you decided that West was looking for a spade game and East thought West was looking for a diamond stop, then you were quite right. Given that, and given the uncertainty of it all, South decided on the ace of diamonds, as would panelist Peter have done. A low club would have also worked well and even a low heart would have defeated 4S IF the defence later managed to take their two club tricks. However, on the ace of diamonds, North followed with the two and despite East’s false card of the queen (why had East bid 3NT????) South followed with the three of diamonds, a clear suit preference signal. North ruffed and led a low club to South’s jack and another diamond ruff followed. Another low club to South’s king and a third diamond ruff was over ruffed by declarer, but that cleared all the diamonds and clubs and the defence still had a heart trick. An initial club lead would have given the defence the first five tricks when North switches to their singleton diamond at trick two, ruffs a diamond and returns a club to South for a second diamond ruff, but nearly all Easts were in 3S either making or down one only, and two made 4S. Something to be learnt about defence?
2. Match Points Dealer S All Vul
Your hand:
| AT |
| AKJ985 |
| A52 |
| KT |
The bidding has been:
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | X | 3 |
| ? |
What would you bid?
4H would seem to be the chosen bid by nearly everyone and I can’t argue. However I also like the double, which may get more information from partner, and if followed by 4H, may possibly suggest that South is looking for a slam, unlikely though that may be. As it was, North had not much but enough for South to make 4H, with an overtrick if West was foolish enough to lead the ace of clubs.
3. Match Points Dealer South All Vul
___ South ___ North ___
|
|
You open 1S and partner bids 1NT. You bid 3H and, rightly or wrongly, partner raises to 4H.
West leads the jack of diamonds. How would you play this very awkward contract. Is there a realistic chance? As you can see there are a number of options in the play.
Is there a realistic chance? As you can see there are a number of options in the play. Since I am still not sure how Deep Finesse makes 4H, I will show you the EW hands now:
___ West ___ East ___
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|
I am guessing that 4H can be made either by playing AS then QS immediately or playing to HA and running the S9. Neither seems a great option to me nor were they suggested by any panelist. No doubt someone will tell me Deep Finesse’s line and whether it is a sensible one.
(Psst ... click here so you can tell Vil (who never reads this column) how DeepFinesse pulls it off!) - Ed
