IMPs; Dealer South; All Vulnerables
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The Auction:
West | North | East | South |
2![]() |
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Pass | 2![]() |
Pass | 2NT |
Pass | 3NT | Pass | Pass |
Pass |
Contract: 3NT
Lead: J
West led the J after this straightforward auction. Declarer counted six top tricks. He saw that unless there were a singleton or doubleton
A, he would make only two tricks in the diamond suit; otherwise the defender with the
A would take it only on the third round of the suit.
So, declarer had only eight certain tricks. The one chance for a ninth trick outside of diamonds was in clubs. Any approach would do if clubs proved to break 3-3. Declarer saw that there was an extra chance available in the suit if he ducked a club at trick two.
East took the trick with the 9 and returned a spade to declarer’s
A. Now declarer cashed the
A and was please to see the
Q fall on his left.
Declarer’s next move was to play the K, which was allowed to hold. A diamond to the
Q won and declarer now led dummy’s remaining club towards his jack-six.
East rose with the K and declarer’s
J was then his ninth trick.