WEST leads the jack of hearts against your 3NT contract. You play low and East wins with the king. How will you plan the play when a heart is returned/ The first stage in planning any no-trump contract is to count your top tricks. Here, after the opening lead, you have two top tricks in each suit, for a total of eight. You therefore need only one extra trick to make the contract. A 3-3 break in clubs would be good enough but this is against the odds. The original declarer preferred to play for a 3-2 diamond break. He won the heart return with the queen and ducked a round of diamonds. East won with the diamond jack and returned a third round of hearts to dummy’s ace. When declarer played the ace of diamonds, he discovered that the suit was breaking 4-1 and would not provide an extra trick. After cashing the diamond king, declarer duck a club. No rescue came from that direction and the game went one down. Did you spot declarer’s mistake? He should have ducked a second round of diamonds! This guarantees the contract (ones you have seen both defenders follow to the first diamond). Even if diamonds divide 4-1, you are certain to score the extra trick you need. The ace, king and six of diamonds will be good.
What will you say next on the West cards?
Answer You have enough for game, but no idea what game will be best. That is more or less the definition of a hand on which you should employ ‘fourth suit forcing’. Here you bid 2H and ask partner to continue to describe his hand. Perhaps he will bid 2NT, allowing you to raise to 3NT. Perhaps he will show delayed spade support. No other bid is remotely satisfactory.
WEST leads the jack of hearts against your 3NT contract. You play low and East wins with the king. How will you plan the play when a heart is returned/ The first stage in planning any no-trump contract is to count your top tricks. Here, after the opening lead, you have two top tricks in each suit, for a total of eight. You therefore need only one extra trick to make the contract. A 3-3 break in clubs would be good enough but this is against the odds. The original declarer preferred to play for a 3-2 diamond break. He won the heart return with the queen and ducked a round of diamonds. East won with the diamond jack and returned a third round of hearts to dummy’s ace. When declarer played the ace of diamonds, he discovered that the suit was breaking 4-1 and would not provide an extra trick. After cashing the diamond king, declarer duck a club. No rescue came from that direction and the game went one down. Did you spot declarer’s mistake? He should have ducked a second round of diamonds! This guarantees the contract (ones you have seen both defenders follow to the first diamond). Even if diamonds divide 4-1, you are certain to score the extra trick you need. The ace, king and six of diamonds will be good.
You have enough for game, but no idea what game will be best. That is more or less the definition of a hand on which you should employ ‘fourth suit forcing’. Here you bid 2H and ask partner to continue to describe his hand. Perhaps he will bid 2NT, allowing you to raise to 3NT. Perhaps he will show delayed spade support. No other bid is remotely satisfactory.