Cover An Honour With An Honour?

Sometimes a harmless looking play like covering an honour with an honour can have fatal consequences. Take this hand from the second round of the Open competition.

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
	ª - © Q J 10 3 2 ¨ Q 7 5 4 2 § K 5 3
ª J 10 9 7 6 4 3 © 6 ¨ 9 3 § A J 10		ª A Q 5 © K 8 7 ¨ A K § 9 8 6 4 2
	ª K 8 2 © A 9 5 4 ¨ J 10 8 6 § Q 7

Hot favourites for the Open Team Olympiad title, Italy began with an 18-12 defeat at the hands of Iceland, but normal service was quickly resumed in Round 2, where they faced Guadeloupe.

In both rooms, the opening lead against West’s 4ªcontract was the queen of hearts. Giorgio Duboin, for Italy, played low from the dummy, seeing no benefit to putting up the king. South could do nothing to threaten the contract now and it was way too difficult for North to find the killing switch. North actually played a second heart and Duboin ruffed, led a spade to the ace and a second spade, and in the fullness of time lost one club trick and made his contract; +620.

The Guadeloupe declarer could see no harm in covering the heart queen with dummy’s king. He should now be a sadder and, hopefully, wiser, man. Claudio Nunes won the king of hearts with his ace and switched to the queen of clubs. Declarer was trapped. When he won the ace of clubs defensive communications were open to get the killing club ruff when Nunes won his trump trick; down one for –100 and 12 IMPs to Italy. Of course, had declarer ducked the §Q he would have eventually lost the setting trick to the §K.