Intermediate Declarer Problem of the Month
February, 2000
IMPs
Dealer: South
Vulnerable: Both
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NORTH  J 8 6 5 A K 8 5 3 K 7 4 2 |
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SOUTH A K 3 Q 9 8 7 4 3 2 A Q 7 -- |
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| AUCTION | |||
| SOUTH | WEST | NORTH | EAST |
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 3 |
Pass | 4 |
Pass |
| Pass | Pass |
West leads the J, you play low from dummy and ruff in hand.
Plan the play.
Solution
Obviously, if trumps are not 4-0, you have ten tricks... So, you must consider what to do when someone holds all four trumps. One possibility is to take
the diamond finesse--but there is a line that caters to a 4-0 trump break and the K offside.
Your plan should be to cash one high SPADE, then lead a heart to the board. Assuming one player shows out on the trump play (say East), you should proceed
to set up a spade trick in dummy for a diamond discard. Lead a spade back to your hand and then another spade toward the jack. This play loses only to
four or more spades to the queen on your right. If the spades are poorly placed, fall back on the diamond finesse for your tenth trick.
Don't fail to notice the importance of cashing a high spade in your hand, then leading the second spade toward your hand. If East shows out on the second
spade, let him ruff air. If, however, you lead both spades from your hand, East might ruff a winner--then you would lose a spade, a heart, and two diamonds
(when the finesse is wrong).
The full deal:
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NORTH |
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WEST |
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EAST |
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SOUTH |
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Note the effect of leading the second spade from dummy. If East chooses to ruff, you lose 1 heart and 2 diamonds. If he does not ruff, you win in hand
and lead another spade toward the jack. If west ducks, no spade loser...if he wins the Q that
establishes the J for a diamond discard, and you lose 1 spade, 1 heart, and 1 diamond.
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