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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

Jan Cormack.

Fine Defence For Jan’s Day

Don’t you sometimes wish that your partner makes a certain lead or switch…and they end up placing a card in your near void suit on the table? If only…if onlys do sometimes happen.

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South Deals
Both Vul
Q 10
J 7
Q 7 5 4 3
K 9 7 6
J 8 5 2
K 10
J 9 2
Q J 10 4
 
N
W   E
S
   
West North East South
You Dummy    
      1 
Pass 2  Pass 2 
Pass 3  Pass 3 NT
All pass      

 

1Club-small was Precision style with 2DDiamond-small being an 8+ hcp positive. The subsequent bidding was natural.

You lead Club-smallQ which goes to East’s Club-small3 (reverse count) and declarer’s Club-smallA. Next comes a low heart from declarer’s hand. Plan the defence.

Jan's Day

“When partner really deserved more than just congratulations.

I know we could all reach across the table on occasions and cheerfully strangle our partner (emphasis, please, on “cheerfully”), but have you ever had to supress an urge to show your pleasure, quite demonstratively, at partner’s inspired play?

I experienced the compulsion to do this at the North Island Teams of four championship when defending 3NT and my partner made a tricky switch to defeat the contract.

North-South were playing Precision with 1Club-small showing a strong hand and 2Diamond-small 8+ HCP with 5+ diamonds.

Club-smallQ was led and won in hand by declarer with their Club-smallA. Declarer then played a small heart towards dummy’s jack. After winning their Heart-smallK, the spotlight fell on West.

Sitting West was Lorraine Boyd who reasoned that, on the bidding, South was marked with five hearts headed by the AQ, Club-smallA and undoubtably had good spade controls to bid 3NT.

She therefore decided that the only way to defeat 3NT was to find the declarer with specifically a singleton diamond (Diamond-small10 or lower).

Thus, Lorraine switched to the Diamond-smallJ, the only card to ensure the contract’s defeat, with one heart and four diamond tricks.


South Deals
Both Vul
Q 10
J 7
Q 7 5 4 3
K 9 7 6
J 8 5 2
K 10
J 9 2
Q J 10 4
 
N
W   E
S
 
9 7 6
8 6 4 2
A K 8 6
8 3
 
A K 4 3
A Q 9 5 3
10
A 5 2
West North East South
      1 
Pass 2  Pass 2 
Pass 3  Pass 3 NT
All pass      

 

No, I did not jump up and give Lorraine a kiss but it took a lot of self- control not to grin outright!”

Lorraine Boyd Vivien Cornell Jan Cormack .jpg

      Jan Cormack, the late Lorraine Boyd and their regular international teammate, Vivien Cornell

Four levels too low?

For less experienced players and others

Well, you may not want to be in grand slam though you would like to play these cards in a little higher contract than 3Diamond-small.


West Deals
None Vul
   
A K 7 4
8 7 5 4
A K J
Q 6
 
N
W   E
S
 
9 3 2
Q 10 9 7 5
A K 10 5 2
West North East South
1  1  2  2 
Pass Pass 3  All pass

 

The above is the actual bidding sequence which occurred. West, playing a system where 1Club-small showed just 2+ cards in the suit, had no support for clubs and knew East almost certainly had no heart hold for no-trumps or four card spade suit.

Do you agree with East’s first bid? What was West’s best action over 2Heart-small and what could West have bid over 3Diamond-small in the actual auction?

Richard Solomon

 

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