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Tricks not points revisited

Play Bridge: tips and tricks for bridge players new to experienced.
25089traildailytimesbridge06-05-13
None vulnerable

Today, I will continue with last week's theme and make a slight modification of the bidding which results in a similar yet different contract.

The bidding: North has too strong a hand to pre-empt in spades. A pre-empt should be reserved as a good description of one's hand and should pre-empt the opponents, not one's own side. South opens one heart and West pre-empts with 2NT showing the two lower unbid suits. This is strictly a weak bid with two playable five-card or longer suits.

North shows his spade suit and East raises the preempt to the five-level. Normally when the opponents are both bidding, slam is not there. But South can count the tricks. Hearts are the resting place for losers and can probably be ruffed good. He has first round or second round in all of the suits. It is very likely that all the diamond points are with the opponents so partner's ten to twelve points are very useful.

The play: The opponents take their diamond trick on the opening lead and as is expected, partner had a good trump suit. His points were useful and hearts were the resting place for losers. East wins the ace of diamonds and it looks bleak. Declarer has first round control of clubs in dummy and a heart suit for his losers. It looks like partner's shortness is in spades not hearts, so trying to give partner a ruff is futile.

He tries a club and declarer wins that in his hand. He plays the ace of spades and then, finding the bad split, he finesses East by playing to the ten of spades. He draws trump, sees hearts are breaking kindly and claims his contract of six spades. Declarer would never take the club finesse if opponents had not led it. He would also keep the ace of clubs as an entry to the long hearts in case he needed to ruff hearts good.

Result:  Six spades by South making for +980.

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