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Bridge
South arrived in 4S and West opened the defence with ace and another diamond. How would you have played this contract? Simon Cocheme, playing at London’s Young Chelsia Club, ruffed the second diamond. With a combined holding of nine trumps it is normally recommended to play for the drop. The odds are only 52:48 in favour of this play and once East has shown long diamonds it becomes much better to finesse West for the trump queen. Cocheme did this, losing unluckily to the doubleton queen. He ruffed the diamond return, West showing out, and cashed three rounds of hearts, watching to see how many hearts East had started with. When East followed to only two hearts his shape was known to be 7-2-2-2. Cocheme, therefore, played a club to the ace followed by another club. East was end-played with the queen and had to concede a ruff-and-discard. (West could not overtake the queen without setting up dummy’s jack of clubs. Nor could East have unblocked the queen under the ace, or declarer would return to hand with a trump and lead towards the club jack.) If instead East’s shape had turned out to be 2-3-7-1, declarer would have led a club, covering West’s card (unless it was the king or queen). If East’s singleton club could beat the dummy’s card, he would again have to concede a ruff-and-discard. If you are playing a weak (12-14 point) 1NT, what opening bid should you make? Answer Several writers have recently recommended opening 1D when you are 4-4 in the minors. I have no idea why! If you open IC you give partner the opportunity to respond ID and you can then find a fit in either minor. Open ID and it is harder for partner to respond in clubs. It’s the same with hands of 4-1-4-4 shape (with a singleton heart). You do better to open IC rather than ID. AWARDS: 1C-10, 1D-5. David Bird — Knight Features
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