BRIDGE JACK STOCKEN

Today’s hand sees a pair use both their skill in the bidding and in the play to earn that vital top score.

West’s weak two diamond vulnerable opener was not a thing of beauty but it was third in hand when you can be lighter than normal. North wisely preferred a take-out double to 2NT with a shortage in diamonds and then later South gave partner a chance to play in 3NT, anticipating a diamond lead round to QJxx.

West led the jack of spades against 3NT, rejecting the diamond lead knowing that declarer had diamond stoppers. Declarer won the ace in dummy and looked to establish hearts so played the queen of hearts which East won with the king and switched to the ten of diamonds, covered by South with the jack, king from West and dummy’s ace.

Declarer continued with another heart from dummy, won with East’s ace and he continued with a second diamond which declarer won with the queen in hand.

Declarer realised that many pairs would be in 4♥ so had to guess the position of the queen of clubs for the vital overtrick. Rather than commit to the 50-50 finesse declarer played out two winning hearts, followed by the king-queen of spades. West had showed out on the third round of both hearts and spades so was known to have a 2–2– 5–4 shape with four clubs. East also had to make a discard on the fourth heart and mistakenly discarded a club rather than a spade – would he really discard a club from Qxx?

Thus declarer played a club to the ace and ran the jack of clubs, West mistakenly covered with the queen , taken by the king in dummy.

As West had discarded diamonds in order to preserve his club holding, declarer made a lucky eleventh trick with the eight of diamonds! 4♥ is the best contract as eleven tricks can always be made if you guess the queen of clubs. So often the 4 – 4 major fit game yields more tricks than 3NT.