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BRIDGE BITES #74
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READING THE LEAD
Brian Gunnell |
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♠ AJ7
♥
8543
♦
876
♣ AJ9 |
Both Vulnerable
South West North
East
Pass 2♦
2♠ 3♦
4♠ Pass
Pass Pass
East’s Weak
Two shows 5-10 HCP and a 6-card suit. N-S
cruise
into 4♠, West leads the Diamond Two won by East’s
Ace,
then a low Diamond comes back, ruffed by Declarer,
West
following with the Jack. As Declarer, what can you
deduce from the play so far? And how do you plan to play
the
hand? |
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Dummy
West East
Declarer |
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♠ KT9653
♥
AT
♦
T
♣ KT82 |
►
The bidding tells you that East
started with six Diamonds and West with three. If West had
♦KQx
he would have led the King … if East had
♦AK
he would have played the King on the first trick … therefore (unless there is
some fiendish false-carding going on) West started with
♦KJ
and East with ♦AQ.
Who has the ♠Q?
►
Generally speaking, you would
play the Spades from the top, playing for the drop of the ♠Q in one or two
rounds. This line is a slight favorite over the alternative of finessing (one
way or the other) against the Queen. But the odds changed when East showed long
Diamonds (leaving less room in his hand for Spade cards), so here you decide to
cash the ♠K and finesse the ♠J on the second round. This works out spiffingly
when East discards a Diamond on the second round of Spades. You draw the last
trump and now the card in question is the ♣Q.
Who has it?
►
You cannot be sure, so you plays
♥A
and another Heart, hoping to learn more, and on the second Heart East plays the
King. At this point you can be fairly certain that East started with 1=2=6=4
distribution. As East has four Clubs to West’s two does that make East more
likely to hold the Queen?
►
Not in this case! East has shown
up with 9 HCP, there’s no room left in his 5-10 hand for the ♣Q. So, you play
West for that card and, thanks to a little counting, you brings home your
vulnerable game with an overtrick.
►
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♠ AJ7
♥
8543
♦
876
♣ AJ9 |
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♠ Q42
♥
QJ962
♦
KJ2
♣ Q7 |
Dummy
West East
Declarer |
♠ 8
♥
K7
♦
AQ9543
♣ 6543 |
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♠ KT9653
♥
AT
♦
T
♣ KT82 |
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Declarer had to get several
things just right in order to make the maximum number of tricks: (a) she had to
deduce the whereabouts of the Diamond honors from the play at Trick 1, (b) she
had to play West for Spade length based on East’s known Diamond length, (c) she
had to play on Hearts to complete her picture of the hand, (d) she had to
remember that East was limited to 10 HCP and therefore could not hold the
♣Q.
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