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By Don Gardner
The longest running sectional tournament in the United States is held each year in Minocqua, Wisconsin, the heart of the Northwoods. The sixty-seventh consecutive version of this event was held there this past June and among its events are two team KOs and a pair/team game.
The hand shown below came from one of the KO sessions. You are declarer in a fine 6D contract and the opening lead was the Queen of Clubs.
Vul: Both
Dummy
S AQ54
H AQ752
D 75
C K6
Declarer
S 8
H K3
D AKQ862
C A1092
Your concerns are two: 1) the trump suit, and 2) your fourth club. If the trump suit breaks 3-2, six diamonds is a lay down and you can play for an overtrick. If diamonds break, 4-1, you need to find a parking place for your fourth club but you have several options. If diamonds break 5-0, you are in danger of failing in your contract.
Plan your play. The solution will be found on the right
Solution:
The play of this hand at matchpoints would be different from that at imps. At matchpoints playing the diamonds to be 3-2 or 4-1 is a 96% chance. If they are 3-2 the contract is a lay down and you can play for an overtrick. If the diamonds are 4-1, setting up the heart suit for a second club pitch, or taking the spade finesse for a club pitch, or ruffing a club before drawing trumps gives you overwhelming odds for success.
However, at imps, the play has to be different as your only concern is making the contract, not for any overtricks. There is a safety play available in the trump suit to protect yourself against a 5-0 trump break if your RHO has them (If LHO has five trumps, the contract cannot be made.).
So what is this safety play? Win the club lead in dummy and run the 5 of diamonds. If RHO plays low, you play low. If LHO wins the trick, that will be the only trump trick for the defense. If LHO shows out, play the A-K-Q of diamonds and then give RHO his trump trick. Now you have to find a place for your fourth club.
Here is the full deal:
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Dummy S AQ54 H AQ752 D 75 C K6 |
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LHO S K732 H J10864 D C QJ74 |
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RHO S J1096 H 9 D J10943 C 853 |
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Declarer S 8 H K3 D AKQ862 C A1092 |
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It is unlikely that RHO will cover the five of diamonds at trick two since that might jeopardize his chance of winning two trump tricks. But if he does, you will win the trick and then reevaluate where your two losing clubs will go. If hearts are 3-3 (a 36% chance), there is no problem and you will not need to take the spade finesse. Since you cannot find out the distribution of the heart suit in advance, you WILL need to take the spade finesse (a 50% chance) and should do so when returning to dummy to run the 7 of diamonds. You have the spots in diamonds to limit the defenders to one trump trick.
Interesting hand! I played the hand and wish I could report that I made the safety play. Alas, I was playing matchpoints! The other team settled in 3NT and made five – a big loss for us.