Dealer: N Vul: Nil
NORTH
♠ Q1085
♥ KQ82
♦ QJ
♣ 653
WEST EAST
♠ 2 ♠ AK93
♥ AJ109754 ♥ 63
♦ K97 ♦ 1063
♣ K7 ♣ AQJ9
SOUTH
♠ 10764
♥ —
♦ A8542
♣ 10842
Congratulations to Mavis Simpson, who has reached the status of Bronze Life Master.
Beginners often complain that there too many exceptions to the so-called “rules” in card-play and bidding. In an earlier column it was stated that “3NT is King.” Board 1 from last Monday is one of those deals where the exception proves the rule. Even real kings take holidays. After North has passed, East will bid 1S, giving East the choice of playing in either hearts or no-trumps. East/West winners, Ros Hart and Hilary Price decided to play in 4H and not 3NT.
Defending against 4H, North led the Queen of diamonds, hoping for a ruff later. South may as well play the Ace now and continue with a low diamond in case North had only one diamond. West’s King wins the trick. The learner will now remember having been told more than once to take out trumps at the first opportunity.
Sorry, not this time; there is a diamond loser to be discarded. Therefore declarer (West) should lead the two of spades to dummy’s Ace and continue with the King. West’s remaining diamond then can be discarded. Now West has no losers left, except in trumps. When the three of hearts is played, South shows out and declarer takes stock. After playing the Ace, declarer can simply continue to play the other top trumps until North runs out of hearts. East/West will lose only two hearts and a diamond, for a score of 420.
3NT can be held to nine tricks for 400 on a spade lead. North must regain the lead twice in hearts and can set up at least one spade trick to go with the two hearts and the Ace of diamonds. One East/West who played in 3NT failed by one trick after a spade lead.
Results, Monday, 03/06/24 (5-table Mitchell): N/S J. Nankervis P. Kelly (62.7) 1; T. Hinde L. Don (51.5) 2. E/W H. Price R. Hart (64.0) 1; J. Rose N. McGinness (57.7) 2. Friday, 07/06/24 (6 & ½-table Mitchell): N/S J. Nankervis L. Munson (63.6) 1; N. Bonnell B. Bonnell (62.5) 2; R. Hart J. Smith (54.3) 3. E/W D. Moran P. Kelly (60.4) 1; S. Goddard N. McGinness (60.0) 2; W. Milne J. Sipple (50.8) 3.
