ACBL Unit 238 - Northeastern Ontario

Dealer: North
Vul: E-W

9

K64

AQ75

AJT92

KJ42

A852

K8

Q53

South	West	North	East
-	-	1	Pass
1	Pass	2	Pass
3NT	Pass	Pass	Pass

You are playing in an IMP Pairs game. Your bid of 3NT offered North a choice of games in case he had raised to 2 with a three-card holding. West leads the 6. Over to you.

Solution

Most declarers took the Q with the king and ran the Q. East took the K and returned the 7. As the cards lay, the defenders had no trouble taking four spade tricks and the club trick for one down. The full deal:

Click on link below or go to "Tournament Results" and click 2012 under "North Bay Sectional"

http://web2.acbl.org/tournaments/results/2012/04/1204055.htm

Dealer: South
Vul: Both

KT3

J32

QJT83

93

AQJ92

AT6

K94

A5

South	West	North	East
1	Pass	2	Pass
4	Pass	Pass	Pass

You are playing teams. West leads the Q. How will you play to take 10 tricks?

Solution

At one table, declarer played low on the Q, winning the second trick with the A. Declarer then drew two rounds of trumps with the ace and king, discovering that trumps were 4-1 (East showing out). Declarer then played on diamonds, but West held up his ace until the third round, then exited with a trump to dummy’s 10.

Dealer: South
Vul: Both

9873

K62

654

972

6

AQJT7

AK932

AK

South	West	North	East
2	Pass	2	Pass
2	Pass	4	Pass
Pass	Pass

You were not tempted to bid again over North’s 4 because that bid indicated fewer values than a raise to 3. West leads the A and continues with the K, which you ruff. Now what?

Solution

Dealer: West
Vul: N-S

AKJ2

A75

KJ65

A8

QT965

643

Q83

63

South	West	North	East
-	1	X	Pass
1	2	3	Pass
4	Pass	Pass	Pass

Against your 4 contract, West leads the K. How will you take 10 tricks?

Solution

After dummy was tabled, declarer counted four potential losers: two hearts, a diamond and a club. The first three losers were unavoidable, so declarer saw that he needed to make three diamond tricks for a club discard.

Dealer: North
Vul: E-W

QJ96

AQJT3

53

QT

AT873

82

AT4

AJ4

South	West	North	East
-	-	1	Pass
1	Pass	2	Pass
4	Pass	Pass	Pass

West leads the Q. How do you plan to take 10 tricks?

Solution

One unsuccessful declarer took West’s opening lead with the A and returned the suit. East won the second trick and shifted to a club. Declarer finessed and West won the K. Both major-suit kings were off, so the contract failed by a trick.

This deal (hands rotated) was played in the semifinal round of the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams at the just-concluded 2012 Spring NABC in Memphis. See if you can do as well as Joe Grue did to land a grand slam.
Dealer: North
Vul: N-S

K5

Q973

KJT87

J9

AJT87432

A6

A42

South	West	North	East
-	-	Pass	2
4	4	4NT	Pass
5NT	7	Pass	Pass
7

The 4 bid showed a strong hand with a long spade suit – a better hand than if you had jumped to 4. West leads the Q (showing the king). How will you play to land 13 tricks?

Solution

Dealer: East
Vul: E-W

AJ98

A763

K9

AQ3

KQT63

5

A742

K82

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	2
2	Pass	4NT	Pass
5	Pass	5NT	Pass
6	Pass	7	Pass
Pass	Pass

After you overcall East’s weak 2 bid, your partner gets excited and puts you in a grand slam that looks like an excellent contract. West leads the 9. What is your plan for taking 13 tricks?

Solution

Partner’s 4NT was Roman Key Card Blackwood, and your 5 response showed two key cards (the trump king and an ace) plus the trump queen. 5NT asked you to bid kings up the line (with none, you would have bid 6).

Dealer: South
Vul: N-S

A2

A965

AQ72

A43

K643

K8

KJ53

K86

South	West	North	East
1	2	2	Pass
2NT	Pass	6	Pass
Pass	Pass

West, whose 2 bid shows at least 5-5 in the major suits, leads the Q. How will you take 12 tricks?

Solution

Clearly West did not agree with Terence Reese’s opinion about the futility of making a two-suited overcall on such a feeble hand. The result was that, knowing West’s shape, declarer was able to play the slam with some precision.

Dealer: South
Vul: E-W

A62

Q632

963

QT4

53

AKJ98

K85

AKJ

South	West	North	East
1	1	2	Pass
4	Pass	Pass	Pass

How do you plan to make your contract after West leads the K? Trumps are not 4-0.

Solution

The nub of this problem is that you may lose one trick in spades and three in diamonds. Of course, East might hold the A, but surely West is the favorite to have that card. The full deal:

	A62 Q632 963 QT4
KQJT74 7 AQ2 987		98 T54 JT74 6532
	53 AKJ98 K85 AKJ