DAILY BRIDGE CLUB
I continue a series on end plays: making an opponent help you by giving him the lead. Today’s declarer must try for an end play because, on the auction, straightforward play won’t work.
West leads a trump against four spades. Say declarer draws trumps and leads a diamond from dummy to his queen. West takes the king and exits with a diamond. Declarer wins with the jack and next leads a heart to his king. He loses two hearts and a club: down one.
South might ( carelessly) play that way with no opposing calls, but West’s double marks him with the missing high cards. So at Trick Two declarer leads a low diamond.
West takes the king and exits with a trump, and South wins in his hand and leads the six of clubs. West must play low, else South gets an extra club trick.
After dummy wins, South takes three diamonds to discard a club from dummy and exits with a club. West is endplayed: He must lead a club, conceding a ruff- sluff, or lead a heart, letting South’s king score. DAILY QUESTION You hold: ♠ 5 4 ♥ AQJ 6 3 ♦K 9 5 ♣A J 10. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. The opponents pass. What do you say?
ANSWER: This problem is straightforward. You have the unbid suit twice stopped, opening values and balanced pattern. Place the contract
at 3NT. If partner has extra strength or a shapely hand, he can bid again. If your ace of hearts were the deuce, you would jump to 2NT, inviting game. South dealer Both sides vulnerable