On a hand played one Tuesday night recently (downstairs) West played in 3NT after opening 1 Club and receiving an inverted minor suit raise from her partner.
You, as North, lead whatever small heart accords with your methods, and dummy plays small. Partner plays the KH declarer dropping the 7. Partner now plays the JH declarer the 9 and the Ace takes the trick in dummy. Declarer, a talented lady player now plays 2D from dummy South the 3 showing count, and declarer the Queen which you fell with the KD.
What is your next play and why?
North
S 843
H T8542
D K5
C 954
East
S AK5
H A6
D 762
C QT632
Declarer with only 2 points in hearts and no more than 2 in spades is marked with top clubs. North can therefore count her for 10 certain tricks, 2 in each major suit, 5 in clubs and the Ace of diamonds. If, holding. in addition, either the diamond Jack or the spade queen the hand can now be spread for 11 tricks.
However, if declarer holds neither of these cards then partner holds both and will be caught in a squeeze UNLESS it is now broken by the immediate return of the D5. This will cut the vital communication link between dummy and Shona’s master diamond and destroy the squeeze Declarer will be held to her 10 tricks excepting the unlikely case where the one and only remaining diamond accompanying the Ace happens to be the 10.
In the event North exited with a heart and Shona, with a mischievous smile lost no time in taking her 11 tricks. The West and South hands were:-
West
S J76
H Q97
D AQ9
CAK87
South
S QT92
H KJ3
D JT843
C J
The 3 card ending was, predictably
S J S 5
H H
D A9 D 7
C C Q
S Q
H
D JT
C
At trick 11 the Queen of Clubs lead from table destroyed my hand, I pitched The Q of spades hoping for a miracle but there was no happy ending. Minutes later as we crossed the car park I said to Ken, “In that last hand against Jim & Shona you held the 5 of diamonds” to which he replied, using one of our two well worn excuses, “I know, ….. but it was getting late”. I suspect it was, Ken so rarely misses out on a defensive opportunity.
I am secretly pleased I wasn’t put to the test in the North seat.
Mike Crook
