A First Look

By Brian Senior

Round 3: Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ J 7 3 ♥ K Q J 9 5 ♦ 3 ♣ K Q 9 6
♠ Q 9 8 ♥ 10 8 6 ♦ K 5 2 ♣ A 4 3 2		♠ A K 10 ♥ 7 4 2 ♦ 10 8 7 ♣ J 10 8 7
	♠ 6 5 4 2 ♥ A 3 ♦ A Q J 9 6 4 ♣ 5

West	North	East	South
	David Wiltshire		Kieran Dyke
	1♥	Pass	2♦
Pass	2♥	Pass	2♠
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♥
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Lead: ♠A

The defence took the first three spade tricks and West shifted to the ♣2: queen – seven – five. Wiltshire crossed to the ♥A, cashed the thirteenth spade and then ran the hearts. This was the position with one heart to go:

	♠ – ♥ 9 ♦ 3 ♣ K 9
♠ – ♥ – ♦ K 5 ♣ A 4		♠ – ♥ – ♦ 10 8 ♣ J 10
	♠ – ♥ – ♦ A Q J 9 ♣ –

Wiltshire played his last heart and everyone threw a diamond. Wiltshire now had the choice of playing West to be down to ♣A and ♦K-x, but he picked the position perfectly and played the ♦A to drop the singleton king.

The Bad:

In another match, after the same auction, East at one table led the ♣J to the ace. West returned the ♣2, won by North who took the diamond finesse next. West ducked smoothly and declarer ran home for nine tricks.At the other table, after a similar auction (3♦ rather than 3♥), East began with ♠A, followed by ♠K. West unblocked the ♠Q to allow East to run five spades. Oops. No swing.

The Ugly

Round 4: Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ Q 8 7 3 2 ♥ A 9 6 5 4 ♦ 10 3 ♣ 2
♠ A K J ♥ Q 7 2 ♦ Q J 9 8 5 ♣ 10 3		♠ 4 ♥ K 8 3 ♦ A K 6 2 ♣ A Q 9 8 5
	♠ 10 9 6 5 ♥ J 10 ♦ 7 4 ♣ K J 7 6 4

West	North	East	South
			Pass
1♦	1♠	2♣	Pass
2NT	Pass	3♠	Pass
3NT	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	Pass	Rdble	All Pass

Lead: ♥5

No doubt South was hoping for a little more from North’s vulnerable overcall opposite a passed hand and doubled because of his favourable club holding. The heart lead went to the ten and queen and West ran the ♣10 to the jack. Back came the ♠10, won by the king, North playing ♠7. South won the next club and agonised whether to play another spade or to lead a heart to reduce the loss to ‘just’ 1000.

He opted for the ♥J return. Hoping against hope that South might have ♦Q-x-x (where was West’s opening bid in that case?), North ducked and declarer had the rest for +1200.