South’s
IS promised a five-card suit and North judged that he was worth a double
raise. France’s Claude Delmouly played well to take advantage of a
defensive slip. How would you tackle 4S when West leads the five of
hearts and East plays the jack? Delmouly won with the ace and
immediately returned a heart. West threw a diamond and dummy’s king
won the trick. Declarer then played a third round of hearts to East’s
queen, West throwing another diamond. All depended on East’s return.
If he plays a heart, West can ruff declarer’s heart winner. It’s
true that declarer can overruff and pick up the trump suit without loss
but this will give him only five trumps, one ruff, two hearts and a
diamond. A diamond return from East will also beat the contract. When
East chose to play a club, West won declarer’s king with the ace and
played a second club, ruffed by South. Delmouly played the ace and king
of trumps, cashed the diamond ace and returned to hand with a club ruff.
The good nine of hearts permitted a discard of dummy’s last diamond.
Declarer then ruffed a diamond with dummy’s last trump and led a
fourth round of clubs towards his bare ten of trumps. Whether or not
East chose to ruff with his jack of trumps, the trump ten would be
promoted into the game-going trick.
What would you respond on
the West cards.
Answers
A raise to 4 S would be pre-emptive and would give no clue that you had
such a good hand. You should either bid 2H, intending to bid strongly
thereafter, or announce your spade fit immediately with a splinterbid of
4C (showing a game raise with at most one club) or a cue-bid of 3C.
South’s
IS promised a five-card suit and North judged that he was worth a double
raise. France’s Claude Delmouly played well to take advantage of a
defensive slip. How would you tackle 4S when West leads the five of
hearts and East plays the jack? Delmouly won with the ace and
immediately returned a heart. West threw a diamond and dummy’s king
won the trick. Declarer then played a third round of hearts to East’s
queen, West throwing another diamond. All depended on East’s return.
If he plays a heart, West can ruff declarer’s heart winner. It’s
true that declarer can overruff and pick up the trump suit without loss
but this will give him only five trumps, one ruff, two hearts and a
diamond. A diamond return from East will also beat the contract. When
East chose to play a club, West won declarer’s king with the ace and
played a second club, ruffed by South. Delmouly played the ace and king
of trumps, cashed the diamond ace and returned to hand with a club ruff.
The good nine of hearts permitted a discard of dummy’s last diamond.
Declarer then ruffed a diamond with dummy’s last trump and led a
fourth round of clubs towards his bare ten of trumps. Whether or not
East chose to ruff with his jack of trumps, the trump ten would be
promoted into the game-going trick.
Answers