This deal was played as Board 4 Sat. March 14, 2020 at Okatie Duplicate Bridge Club (Okatie DBC) - last game before the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic closure.
Auction: West deals and with 15 hcp and a balance hand opens the bidding 1NT. East with 10 hcp and no 5-card major to transfer or 4-card major to Stayman bids 3NT.
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
1 NT1
|
Pass
|
3 NT2
|
All pass
|
.
1. 15-17 hcp balanced
2. 10 hcp & no major
.
1. 15-17 hcp balanced
2. 10 hcp & no major
.
3NT by West
Lead: ª5
Lead: ª5
With an opening lead of the ª5, how should West play this deal?
here is the complete deal ...
Opening Lead: Before addressing the play of the hand on this deal, let's look at the opening lead. The way to decide on an opening lead is to first strategically decide on what suit to lead and then decide on which card best describes the holding in that suit. If the card chosen does not present the best opportunity for defense, then maybe choose another suit (but not another card).
North on opening lead has several options: spades - lead the ♠ 5 (4th best of a major suit), hearts - lead the ♥ K (hoping hearts is partner's suit) or clubs - lead the ♣ 2 (North's best holding). Bridge author David Bird says in the auction 1 NT - 3 NT lead a major suit, the opponents did not explore for a major, and thus, this auction screams !lead a major! North should lead either the ♠ 5 or the ♥ K. While the ♥ K is tempting, the ♥ K is the only reentry to North's hand to set up spades so the lead of the ♥ K is "all in" commitment, North chooses to lead the ♠ 5.
Play: Declarer (West) takes the opening lead finesse and wins the opening trick T1 (see trick table T1) in hand over the ♠ J with the ♠ K.
here is the trick-by-trick table ...
3 NT by West
Trick
|
Lead
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
T1. N
|
ª 5
|
3
|
J
|
K
|
T2. W
|
¨ A
|
7
|
2
|
3
|
T3. W
|
¨ 8
|
9
|
6
|
Q
|
T4. S
|
© 3
|
5
|
K
|
2
|
5. N
|
ª 8
|
A
|
4
|
2
|
6. E
|
© 6
|
A
|
9
|
4
|
7. S
|
ª 9
|
Q
|
10
|
§ 7
|
8. W
|
© Q
|
§ 5
|
10
|
J
|
9. W
|
§ 6
|
J
|
K
|
3
|
10. E
|
§ 9
|
10
|
A
|
2
|
11. W
|
¨ 5
|
J
|
K
|
4
|
12. E
|
¨ 10
|
© 8
|
§ 4
|
ª 7
|
13. E
|
§ 8
|
© 7
|
ª 6
|
Q
|
.
underscored card ♦ A designates winning card
.
3NT by West
Lead: ª 5
underscored card ♦ A designates winning card
.
3NT by West
Lead: ª 5
If there is a truism in bridge, it can't be right for both sides to be leading the same suit, which rules out West making a play on spades, North has 4 spades and 3 tricks is all that can be expected in spades. The ♥ Q95 opposite ♥ 1062 will produce a trick on defense, but it can't be right for West to attack hearts with just 3-3. Which leaves the minors: diamonds and clubs. With a combined holding in diamonds of ♦ AK108652 (7 cards) diamonds are marginally better than clubs, West first cashes the ♦ A T2 and on T3 leads up to the ♦ 10 losing to South's ♦ Q.
South switches to hearts on T4 West ducks around to the ♥ 10 which guarantees the contract giving West a heart trick for the 9th trick. If South continues spades i.e., doesn't break hearts, West can still make the contract by finessing South for the ♥ J (find the jack). West wins 3 spades, 1 heart, 3 diamonds and 2 clubs for 9 tricks. In the game on March 14, 3NT was made 5 times and went down 5 times, it was played 1 time in 2 ♣ and 1 time in 1NT.
Fred Ferguson
https://hhibridge.blogspot.com/
(space does not always allow for full explanations
see blog Topics for "find the jack"
Note: It should not matter if North leads the ♥ K. If hearts are played three rounds initially, West wins the third heart and then finesses South for the ♦ Q, reversing the diamond play from above where the diamond finesse was against North.
Okatie DBC #002 - originally written for the Okatie Duplicate Bridge Club (Sun City Hilton Head) website.
The HHI Bridge blog is dedicated to a better understanding of the game of bridge. There is not just one way to bid or play a hand of bridge, there will be differences of opinion and that is OK ... feel free to make a comment on a post.
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