With Jack Stocken

Well done to Sheila Galloway and Sue

Pell for finishing runners up in the Year End Swiss Pairs, held in Blackpool after Christmas.

Today’s hand from a local duplicate sees declarer make an intelligent assumption to land a borderline 3NT game.

South’s 2NT bid showed 17/18 points as she was coping with intervention, so it would be the same bid without the 2♥ overcall (a jump rebid over 1♠). With only 15/16 points South would have passed and given North another bid. North was borderline to raise to game but the K10 of diamonds seemed like very useful cards, after South’s 1♦ opener.

West led the ♥6 against 3NT, low from dummy, the Ten of hearts from East (cheapest of touching honours for third player) and declarer ducked the Ace. East persisted with the ♥K, ducked again and then declarer won the third round with the Ace.

Declarer counted eight certain tricks and looked to clubs for the ninth trick and possibly an awkward KJ guess. Declarer wisely decided to cash five diamond winners to put the opponents under pressure. East had to hold on to her two winning hearts, so let go two spades and two clubs.

Declarer then paid a visit to dummy with the Ace of spades and led the ♣2 from dummy, ♣10 from East and now came the moment of truth, whether to play the King or Jack of clubs from hand. Which one would you play?

Declarer surmised that if East had the Ace of clubs then she would have played it and quickly cashed two heart winners for one down. So the assumption was that West had the Ace of clubs therefore declarer played the ♣J which lost to West’s Ace.

West could not return hearts as she didn’t have any, so tried a spade but declarer won the King and cashed the King of clubs. 3NT made.

Diary Dates; there are play sessions for Intermediates and Improvers in Harrogate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 3pm and in Helmsley on Mondays at 1.45pm. Sessions supervised by Jack Stocken and cost £10 pp, no partner necessary. Full details www.yorkshirebridge.co.uk