The Plan XXII by Tim Bourke

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Tim Bourke
Tim Bourke

Example 809 IBPA Column Service

IMPs:  Dealer North;  E/O Vulnerable

 K J 10 2
 Q 4
 K 7 4 3         
 A 5 2
 A Q 9 7 5 
 K 3 
 A 8
 K Q 10 3

The Auction:

West North   East     South
   1 Pass     1
  Pass   2 Pass     3
  Pass   4 Pass      4NT
  Pass   5 Pass      6
  Pass Pass   End

Final Contract: 6

Lead: J

West led the jack of hearts. East took the trick with the ace and returned a heart to declarer’s king.

Declarer saw that if the trumps were at worst 3-1 he could ruff his fourth club in dummy if required. So declarer cashed the A at trick two. The 4- 0 break complicated things, making the idea of relying solely on the club suit for the extra trick unattractive.

Declarer saw that a safer plan was to play on diamonds, reversing the dummy, so he cashed the ace and king of diamonds and ruffed a diamond in hand.

A trump to dummy’s ten was followed by a second diamond ruff. Declarer then overtook the queen of trumps with dummy’s king. After drawing East’s last trump with the jack, declarer had the three top clubs left.

The complete deal was:

 K J 10 2
 Q 4
 K 7 4 3         
 A 5 2
 —           
 J 10 9 7 2
 J 9 5
 J 9 8 7 4
 8 6 4 3       
 A 8 6 5
 Q 10 6 2        
 6
 A Q 9 7 5 
 K 3 
 A 8
 K Q 10 3