Source: ABF Bulletins
![Liam Milne](http://csbnews.org/new/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Liam-Milne-chq1.jpg)
In the last week of November, 64 teams from across Australia travelled to sunny Tweed Heads (NSW) to contest the Grand National Open Teams Final. As always, there were a few hands with instructive themes. Try this hand from the fourth round of knockout matches:
At favourable vulnerability, you open 2 (Precision, 6+ clubs) and partner responds 2
inquiry. East overcalls 4
and you venture 4
, buying a very good dummy on the diamond lead to the
8 and your
A.
Seeing no issues, you lead the Q from your hand, which wins. Do you see any problems?
On this type of hand, with good trumps and a useful side suit, a frequent idea to keep in mind is “side suit first”: nurture your source of tricks to ensure that the side suit doesn’t get lost.
With this hand, if you play a second trump next, the difference is two tricks. West wins the A as East shows out, and can simply return their third heart. You try the clubs, but they break 4-0, and you are short of the entries to both establish then run the suit. East is 4=1=8=0; down one.
In our match, declarer played a club at trick 3 to ensure the contract. In the other room, the contract was 4 doubled, but declarer didn’t find the side suit safety play: 11 IMPs to SYDNEY 2, rather than 6 the other way (an early club play leads to an overtrick, only losing a heart and a spade).
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