ACBL Unit 539
San Diego

Hand of the Week

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

  A54
2
AK98754
J8

Dlr: West

9
953
QJT
AT9765
KQJ83
764
632
43
T762
AKQJT8
-
KQ2

West

North

East

South

3

3

3

5

-

6

-

6

-

-

-

 

Hand of the week for December 28 2014

Contract is 6. Opening lead is 9.

Looking at the North-South hands, you realize you have reach a very aggressive slam. Do you see any hope after a spade lead?

The Club Ace is a certain loser and there are 3 spades to shake. 2 can go on dummy's Ace and King of Diamonds but this still leaves you a trick short.

From the auction two things are likely. West began with a singleton spade and the Ace of Clubs. Does this help?

The diamond suit, your source of tricks, must divide 3-3. After setting up dummy's diamonds with a third round ruff, how do you get back to dummy? The lead of a low club toward dummy gives West a chance to go astray. He must win the Ace and return a club. Only if West if asleep will you succeed.

There's a much superior line. Discard the King and Queen of clubs on dummy's top diamonds and ruff the third. Draw trumps, then lead the deuce of clubs towards dummy! Whether West wins the Club ace or not you are home for you have your dummy entry. West is end-played with only a club to return.



The Virtue of Patience

  K72
A83
KQ65
642

Dlr: South

QT4
J75
JT984
K8
J963
QT64
3
JT97
A85
K02
A72
AQ53

West

North

East

South

 

 

 

1N

-

3N

-

-

-

 

 

 

Hand of the week for December 10, 2014

Contract is 3NT. West leads the Jack of diamonds.

Assuming you win - in which hand? - what comes next?

With an abundance of entries to both hands it does not matter where you win the first trick.

There are eight winners off the top, two spades, two hearts, three diamonds and a club. The ninth will come from diamonds if they divide 3-3, probably unlikely on the lead, or a successful club finesse. Can this be improved on in any way (without peeking?)

Yes, of course, delay the finesse!

Clubs should be tested first. Duck a low club in both hands at trick two, win any return, then cash the ace of clubs. Voila! You have found your ninth trick!

What if the King does not fall, which is more likely? Enter dummy and lead a low club toward the queen, covering if East follows low. You score your game when East holds the King to West holds the King singleton, doubleton or three times. Isn't this a distinct improvement over a straight finesse? True, you give up an overtrick when East holds the King three times but this is less likely to occur.

Failing here you can always fall back on diamonds.



What's the Hurry?

  K983
Q652
AQJ
A4


A6
T94
T62
KQ873
-
KJ87
K9754
JT52
QJT7542
A3
83
96

Hand of the week for December 1, 2014

Contract is 4. West leads the King of clubs, East playing the Jack. What is your best chance to win ten tricks?

The level of the contract often dictates your play.

Most four spade contracts would be declared by North via a transfer sequence. In this case it is of no consequence since a club is the natural lead from either side.

There is a potential loser in each suit; a heart, however, can be discarded on dummy's long diamond.

On winning the first club, surrender the Queen of diamonds immediately. Any other play loses here. East will take the King and continue with a club to West. You must win the shift to a heart with your Ace and play two rounds of diamonds, shedding your losing heart.

Now, at trick 7, lead a trump for the first time!

The only time you would deviate from this plan would be if you were playing in 5. Now you cannot afford three losers, so you win the first club and play a spade. West wins, cashes a club, and attacks hearts. Win the Ace, draw the last trump and take the diamond finesse. If it wins, re-enter your hand with a trump and finesse once more.

Notice the difference: drawing trumps at trick 7 or at trick 2.



Frozen Suit

  AJ85
A543
A5
Q65

Dlr: South
Vul: E-W

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
KQT976
KJ6
7
T32

West

North

East

South

 

 

 

2

-

4

-

-

-

 

 

 

Hand of the week for November 19, 2014

Contract is 4. West leads the four of clubs to East's King. East shifts to the Queen of diamonds at trick 2.

How now?



An Open Book

  A
J96532
AJ7
AQ5

Dlr: East
Vul: None

JT54
4
9852
T842
KQ876
8
QT63
KJ6
932
AKQT7
K4
973

West

North

East

South

 

 

1

2

-

6

-

-

-

 

 

 

Hand of the week for November 3, 2014

Contract is 6. West leads J.

How do you plan to win twelve tricks?

You face two losers in clubs since the King is marked with East from the auction. A successful diamond finesse would eliminate one club loser but you realize this won't work since East must hold the diamond Queen as well.

Better to strip both hands of spades and diamonds, then duck a club to East. An alert West will parry this by covering any club you lead, avoiding the end play. How then?

Use the opponents' strength against them. Draw trumps, ruff your two losing spades, then play the King, Ace and Jack of diamonds discarding a club from hand as East wins. East must now lead up to dummy's Ace/Queen of clubs or lead a spade or diamond enabling you to trump it in dummy while discarding a second club from hand.

Well done!



FinesseAholic's Dream

  A2
KQ653
AJT32
2

Dlr: South
Vul: E-W

T8743
J7
95
K865
K965
2
Q74
J9743
QJ
AT984
K86
AQT

West

North

East

South

 

 

 

1N

-

2

-

3

-

6

-

-

-

 

 

 

Hand of the week for October 24, 2014

Contract is 6 by South. West leads the 4.

With three finesses available, which do you plan to take?

If the spade finesse loses you must find the queen of diamonds or go down.

If you reject the spade finesse and try clubs instead, losing to the king means mediate defeat!

You might reject both black suit finesses and go after diamonds. Here a misguess again results in loss of contract.

Take no finesse at all! Win the space ace, play the ace of clubs and trump a club, draw trumps and ruff your last club. Now put an opponent - either one - on play with a spade and claim. The opponents must break diamonds for you or offer a ruff and sluff, eliminating a diamond loser.

Finesseaholic's dream? Nightmare is more apt.



Beware the Hyena

  KJT2
AK
854
8732

Dlr: North
Vul: E-W

85
T986
AJ9
KJT5
7
QJ754
QT72
Q64
AQ9643
32
K63
A9

West

North

East

South

 

-

-

1

-

3

-

4

-

-

-

 

Hand of the week for October 16, 2014

South's third seat opening bid is raised to 3 and he carries on to game. How should he proceed? Contract is 4 by South. West leads T.

Formulate a plan to make your contract.

-----

Solution:

A diamond lead toward the king should be your last resort.

Keep East off lead if possible. Win the heart per force and play a club, inserting the 9 when East follows low.

Winning the heart continuation, cash the club Ace and draw trumps ending in dummy.

Ruff a club, re-enter dummy with a trump and lead the last club. When East does not follow suit, pitch a diamond and claim, conceding one more diamond.

Should East turn up with four clubs trump it. Reach dummy with another spade. Then, and only tun, lead a diamond toward your king.

You have given yourself two chances, an improvement on a simple finesse.

The loser-on-loser play wins again!



2014 Archives of the Hand of the Week


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