I sat East and the first task was to get to the right contract. After South (LHO) opened 1♠, I was too strong to bid 1NT in the balancing seat, so I doubled. South now bid 2♥ and partner helped me out by bidding 3♣. This bid showed some values which was just what I needed to bid 3NT!
The ♠K was led and the dummy was satisfactory. This type of hand is always fun to play because you know where all of the values are located and can usually execute at least one endplay.
The first order of business was to duck the ♠K. South switched to the ♥A, followed by another heart which I won with the ♥K, perforce. If clubs break I have lots of tricks, but it is not something to count on. A club to my ♣K, followed by the ♣Q revealed the 4-1 break in clubs. South pitched a spade. OK...the next order of business is to get a count on this hand.
I led the ♥10 which won and North followed. Perfect. Now I know that South's distribution is 5-4-3-1. This will help in the play of the hand. I exited with the ♥J and South was endplayed for the first time, winning the ♥Q. She shifted to a diamond which I won with the ♦9.
Now a club to the ♣A puts fatal pressure on South. If she pitches a spade, I can throw her in with a spade by playing the ♠A followed by the ♠J. She then has to lead diamonds again--giving me my 9th trick.
If, on the other hand, she discards a diamond on the ♣A (which she did), then I can simply play the ♦A, dropping her ♦K, and the ♦Q is my 9th trick.
Tiptoeing through the bidding, then executing an endplay, a squeeze, and possibly a second endplay is why we play this game!
Plus 400 was a 100% board.
See you at the virtual table.
No comments:
Post a Comment