Monday afternoon August 6, 2007

Lead: ace of hearts

This hand was played six times on Monday; all at 4S making 6! No one ventured upward and onward. South has to be pushy, having a secret cache of six diamond tricks in her hand. I played defense on this one and led the ace of hearts, which was trumped in hand. Now South has to get to business quickly and hope for an even split on trumps. South loses the trump queen but claims afterward with her excellent minor suits.

Monday afternoon August 6, 2007

Lead: seven of clubs.

I include this hand because 3NT went down four three times! Only Judy Funk was able to find the right line. The first club lead was won with dummy's queen. A spade is floated, won by West; back comes another club with East's ten holding the trick, South refusing the bait until East leads her last club. Declarer forces out the ace of spades but it's too late to get to partner. The king is captured by the board's ace. A diamond back to the ace is followed by four good spade tricks; so far--two clubs, four spades, a heart and a diamond. Not willing to risk a difficult 3NT for the possibility of going down, the nine of diamonds goes to the king and clean living is rewarded with a doubleton queen. Making four. The others allowed East to open the heart floodgate and finessed the jack of diamonds early in the hand.

Monday afternoon August 6, 2007

Lead: ace of spades.

(chicken clucking sound in the background) If you're going to disrupt their auction, really do it. Five hearts doubled loses one in each suit for -300. Six spades EW making 6 brings in a tidy 1330. West gets to sit in the corner on this one. Take the ace of hearts, draw trump, knock out the diamond ace and discard losers on the remaining diamonds.

Tuesday afternoon August 7, 2007

Lead: King of hearts.

The three teams that played the contract today all asked how they could have bid the slam. I'm not sure if novice/intermediate players can get there on this one. Once spades are trump the bidding process shifts to controls. While West's 5D isn't exactly a liar-liar-pants-on-fire, it does make East feel much better, especially with a hidden 6-card monster club suit.

Tuesday afternoon August 6, 2007

Lead: five of diamonds.

East knows the contract is up for grabs on the first trick. The diamond lead puts the contract in jeopardy immediately. The correct play is to assume the lead is not away from an ace but instead something else and duck. If North has the A-Q you're toast anyway. North wins the ace and returns a diamond; the rest is routine.