Through the Pack at
Glenfield
The Jack of Hearts
Last Updated on 1st
July 2006
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North and West had most of the decisions on this deal from
Glenfield Bridge Club on 28th June 2006. |
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Board
7 Dealer
S Game
All |
North ª QJ83 © AQ ¨ Q97 § KT64 |
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My
owner had to sit and watch their partner fail to make the most of me at most
tables. West’s
one
no trump was left undisturbed at three tables and declarer made seven
tricks at each of these tables. At the
webmaster’s table, Judith Taylor led
the three of spades,
declarer won
the third round of the suit, and finessed the jack of diamonds. He continued with three more rounds of
diamonds and played ace
and another club. Judith won the king,
cashed her spades on which a club and heart were thrown. Judith was then able to exit with the club six, forcing
declarer to lead hearts and the defence took three spades, two hearts and a
club. It appears, at first sight, as
if declarer could have made eight tricks by discarding two of my younger
siblings on the third and fourth rounds of spades, for Judith, earlier, had been
forced to throw the four
of clubs on the fourth diamond trick. However, this does not work, for
Judith can now play ace
and queen of hearts. Declarer wins the king but, with no
entry to dummy’s queen
of clubs, loses the last trick to South’s ten of hearts. No,
the successful line is to try to bring me into the play. If North/South play fourth
highest leads,
it will be clear when South returns the two of spades at
trick two, that the suit is breaking 4-4.
Declarer might as well finesse
the jack of diamonds
and lead a heart to the king and ace. North can cash two spades and exit with a
diamond, but a second heart lead will fetch the queen allowing me and my
sibling to take tricks to go with four diamonds a spade and a club for a score
of 120; enough to beat all pairs except two who played in hearts and made
nine tricks. They were Ian Hubbard
& Eddie Blount and, the East/West winners, Ray Le Vesconte & Brenda
Coltman. The North/South winners, Pat
Newton & Mary France, defended two hearts and took it one down to achieve
the only positive score in the North/South column. The results,
travellers
and personal
scorecards are online. |
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West ª A97 © K542 ¨ A863 § A3 |
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East ª T4 © J873 ¨ KJ4 § Q752 |
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South ª K652 © T96 ¨ T52 § J98 |
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It appears as if the destiny of South’s three no trump
contract depends on finding the queen of diamonds. Yet South found another way home on this
deal from Glenfield Bridge Club on 18th June 2003.. |
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Board
5 Dealer
N NS
Vul |
North ª Q7 © J64 ¨ KJ984 § J42 |
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East
was not playing weak
twos and passed. South’s style was to open the lower
ranking of two four-card suits when intending to re-bid in no trumps and so
he opened
one diamond. My owner passed and
North bid two diamonds. East passed
again (perhaps he should bid two spades now) and South jumped to three no
trumps. With no clues in the bidding
to guide him my owner led
the five of clubs. Declarer played small from dummy and
topped East’s queen
with the ace. Declarer was relieved to have escaped a
spade lead. With the two black aces and the ace and king of hearts, the
contract seemed to depend on making five diamond tricks. However South decided that the diamond
suit could wait and led the two of hearts. Declarer was pleasantly surprised when, a
few seconds later, I took the trick.
Reasoning that West must have hour hearts to the queen (to justify the
duck)
and four clubs (from the lead)
he decided to play East for the queen of diamonds. Wrong.
But it didn’t really matter.
The defence belatedly switched to a spade and with hearts breaking 3-3,
declarer was able to wrap up four tricks in each red suit to go with the
black aces for a top. What
would have happened if East had overcalled
in spades or had opened a weak
two? Well, South should
probably still play in three no trumps but now West would lead
a spade. South may still get home
if he reasons that as the spade length is with East the diamond queen is more
likely to be with West but it is more difficult. It is even better, of course, if North can play the three no
trumps after East bids spades. One
possible sequence after a weak
two is two
spades – double
– pass – three diamonds – pass – three
spades (asking for a stop) – three no trumps. I
feel a little sorry for Sue Northen and Ron Ferguson who bid a profitable
sacrifice in four spades, going three down doubled, only to find that the
popular result was not three no trumps bid and made but four or five diamonds
going down. |
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West ª 642 © QT9 ¨ Q63 § T865 |
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East ª KJT853 © 853 ¨ 2 § KQ9 |
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South ª A9 © AK72 ¨ AT75 § A73 |
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The
next card is the Ten of Hearts.
The
previous card was the Queen
of Hearts.
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Site Map Last Updated 13th May 2006 |
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1. Home Page |
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2. Newsletters, Photos and Correspondence |
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3. Competitions |
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5. Statistics |
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6.1 Bidding |
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6.1.1 Hand Evaluation |
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6.1.2 Opening Bids |
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6.1.3 Responding to an Opening Bid |
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6.1.3.1 Responding to 1NT |
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6.1.3.2 Responding to 2NT |
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6.1.4 Conventions |
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6.1.4.1 Conventional Opening Bids |
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6.1.4.2 Competitive Conventions |
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6.1.4.3 Slam Conventions |
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6.1.5 Doubles |
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6.1.6 The Protective Position |
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6.2 Declarer Play |
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6.2.1 General Technique |
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6.2.2 Trump Management |
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6.3 Defence |
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6.3.1 Defensive Tactics |
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6.3.2 Opening
Leads |
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6.3.3 Plays in Third Hand |
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6.3.4 Entry Management |
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6.4 Probability |
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