Take all your chances at bridge – 4 by Eddie Kantar

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denver 2015 1DENVER FALL 2015 NABC – NOV 26-DIC 6

The 2015 Fall NABC is being played in Denver let us look some interesting deals from the bulletin’s series: Take all your chances at bridge – 4 by Eddie Kantar

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With both sides vulnerable, you open 1 in fourth seat, West doubles, partner finds a redouble, East coughs up 1, and you wind up in 6. West leads the 2. Plan the play. Hearts are 2-2.

Solution

What are they bidding on? You and partner have 30 high-card points between your two hands, West has made a passed-hand, vulnerable takeout double with a doubleton heart (usually a vulnerable passed hand will have a singleton in the opener’s suit), so unless East has the J, West figures to have all the remaining HCP. In so many words, the  A Q are hanging out over your king.

Win the A (nice play), draw trumps ending in dummy, cash the top spades, discarding two clubs, and ruff a spade, removing all of West’s spades. Now exit with the K. West has only minor-suit cards left and is not in a wonderful position. If West exits with a club you have an established club trick for a diamond discard.

West must get out with a diamond. If West exits a low diamond, chances are dummy’s 8 will win the trick! West, might well lead a low diamond from Q-J-x-(x), hoping partner has the 9.

If West exits with a diamond honor, one normally plays for split honors, but given the bidding, it is far more likely that West has both honors, so win the king and lead low to the 10. The full deal:

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