You
are sitting West in the final of the
Canadian National Teams Championship,
holding:
62
J
97532
K10976.
What would you lead after the following
auction?
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
2 |
|
Pass |
4(1) |
Pass |
4 |
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
|
(1) Club shortage, heart fit, slam try
Did you choose the six of spades, as Robert
Lebi did? Here's the complete deal:
North-South vulnerable
West deals
Markland Molson, South, signed off at
4 when Allan Graves, North, tried for slam
with a "splinter" raise after showing his
diamond suit.
Lebi followed sound practice
by attacking dummy's secondary side suit,
and declarer ducked to the king.
Nader Hanna,
East, switched accurately to a club, hoping
to force dummy and protect his trump
holding. Declarer won the
A and ran the
queen of diamonds to the king. A second club
tapped dummy and left declarer in a tenuous
position.
Although he had the trump spots to
guard against two honours fourth in East, he
could not afford such a luxury because he
still had a losing club. He played
A K,
intending to play on diamonds if everyone
followed, succeeding with three-two trumps
and clubs no worse than four-two. When West
showed out, he tried a diamond; East ruffed
in and declarer lost a club trick for two
down; minus 200.
At the other table, Drew Cannell-John
Carruthers had a less revealing auction:
1-2; 2NT-3-4,
Boris Baran led a club to Carruthers' queen.
Declarer took a club ruff, and played ace-nine
of hearts, running it when East did not
split his honours. He lost only a trump and
a diamond (two spades went on diamond
winners) for plus 650; a 13-IMP swing.
In the CWTC Final, Sheri Winestock went
down in 4 on a spade lead. At the other
table, North/South did not reach game . . .
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
RO |
BK |
GS |
RH |
|
|
|
|
1NT |
|
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
2 |
|
2NT(1) |
Dble |
3 |
Dble |
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
|
(1) Minors
Rhoda Habert's 1NT opening showed 11-14
points; Kraft's 2 was an artificial,
game-forcing inquiry. Roisin O'Hara's daring
delayed intervention led to a 500-point set
for Gloria Silverman, but would have gained
her side a few IMPs if 4 had made. Here the
swing was 12 IMPs the other way.