East-West vulnerable. North deals.
NORTH
S-K 10 9 8 4
H-J 8 6
D-Void
C-K Q 10 5 2
WEST EAST
S-J 7 2 S-A Q 6 3
H-10 H-K Q 7 5 3 2
D-A J 10 9 7 3 2 D-4
C-J 4 C-9 7
SOUTH
S-5
H-A 9 4
D-K Q 8 6 5
C-A 8 6 3
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
Pass 1H 2D Pass
2S Pass 3C Pass
5C Pass Pass Dbl
Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Ten of H
Even seemingly complicated hands can become simple if you get a count of the distribution. Here’s a case in point.
Since East-West were playing negative doubles, West passed the two-diamond overcall in the hope that East would reopen with a double. That was not to be, and North-South wended their way to five clubs, which West doubled on the reasonable assumption that bad breaks would spell declarer’s defeat.
The opening lead of the ten of hearts was covered by the knave and queen and won with the ace, eliminating one of declarer’s losers in that suit.
Declarer drew trumps in two rounds, ending in hand, and led a spade to the eight and queen. East shifted to the four of diamonds and declarer’s queen was covered by the ace and ruffed in dummy. Declarer came to hand with a spade ruff, cashed the queen of diamonds, discarding a spade from the table, noting East’s heart discard, and led the nine of hearts, on which West sluffed a diamond. The count of the hand was now complete. East had started with six hearts, two clubs and one diamond and, therefore, four spades.
East captured the nine of hearts with the king and exited with a heart to dummy’s eight. Since declarer had only one trump left in hand and the opening bid marked East for the ace of spades, there was only one hope for the contract — West’s remaining spade had to be the jack! South led the king of spades from dummy to pin the jack. If East ducked, declarer would discard; if East covered, declarer would ruff. Either way, dummy would score the rest of the tricks.
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