Dealer: S Vul: N/S
NORTH
♠ K62
♥ K3
♦ 832
♣ AK865
WEST EAST
♠ J863 ♠ AQ
♥ J94 ♥ 1065
♦ QJ96 ♦ 1073
♣ 109 ♣ QJ743
SOUTH
♠ 10974
♥ AQ872
♦ AK4
♣ 2
Pat Kelly and John Nankervis blitzed the North/South field in last Monday’s game. Board 15 (above) was one of their best. While the rest of the North/South pairs were content to play in 3NT they made exactly nine tricks for 600. John, sitting North, clearly decided that the King of hearts and just one other heart was good enough support for Pat’s opening bid of 1H and for the auction to reach 4H. Pat and John now needed ten tricks to make their contract and a score of 620.
In cases too numerous to mention, the fate of the contract depends on what happens at the first trick. In this case the three of spades was led when either the Queen of diamonds or the ten of clubs might have been better. As long as East and West each held three hearts, Pat could see five heart winners, two diamonds and two clubs. That left spades as the suit where the tenth trick had to be made. The choice of spade from dummy (North) was crucial. Rising with the King would have achieved nothing. Taking into account that ten in hand, Pat played low from dummy allowing East’s Queen to win. A competent bridge player would now have a good idea of the layout of East/West’s spades. In accordance with normal practice, West’s lead appeared to show a four-card suit with one or two honours. Once the Queen appeared, Pat could deduce that if West held four spades, East could have only two, as North/South possessed a total of seven. Playing the ten of spades from hand and allowing it to run if not covered by the Jack, would remove East’s Ace, thereby promoting the King for trick number ten. If the Jack is played, then the King could cover and the Ace would still win , but South’s nine would be a winner. Well played, Pat.
Results: Monday, 27/02/23 (5-table Mitchell) : N/S J. Nankervis P. Kelly (70.0) 1; N. Bonnell T. Hinde (52.0) 2. E/W H. Price R. Hart (61.2) 1; B. Reid J. McKeen (50.0) 2. Friday, 0303/23 (5-table Mitchell): N/S T. Hinde J. Mobbs (58.3)1; Jenny Smith R. Hart (57.1) 2; L. Don G. Schmidt (54.6) 3. E/W P. Kelly D. Moran (62.5) 1; S. Goddard N. McGinness (55.0) 2. L. Munson J. Nankervis (51.2) 3.
