No Luck

Dlr:
South
Vul:
Both
North
♠ K Q
A 10 9 6 5 2
♣ A J 10 9 5
South
♠ A J 10 9 8 6
Q 8 7 4
♣ 6 4 3
West North East South
2♠
Pass 4♠ All Pass

You open with a weak two-bid and partner, noting the vulnerability, shows confidence in your card-play skills by raising you to game. West starts with a low trump. How will you get to 10 tricks on this deal?

Solution

After West’s trump lead, declarer allowed dummy’s queen of trumps to hold the trick. Then he cashed the A, throwing a diamond from hand, and ruffed a heart. After ruffing a diamond in dummy, declarer returned to hand with a heart ruff, cashed the ♠A and led a club toward the table. West played the queen; declarer took this with the ace and continued with the ♣J. East won with the ♣K and played the K. Declarer ruffed, but now had to lose a long trump as well as three tricks in the minors. “Fancy running into a 4-1 break,” moaned declarer. “I never have any luck.”

“Luck had nothing to do with the outcome,” said a somewhat disdainful North. “All you had to do was to win the first trick in hand with the ace of trumps. Then, after ruffing a diamond in dummy and throwing a diamond on the A, you ruff a heart back to hand. You would then have had four trumps to West’s three. After drawing West’s trumps, you would tackle the clubs. As the cards lie, all you would lose is two diamonds and a club – making six trumps, a heart, a diamond ruff and two clubs, for a total of 10 tricks.”

Note that playing a club at trick two will not succeed on this layout: West will play the queen and thereby scuttle the contract. The full deal:

Dlr:
South
Vul:
Both
North
♠ K Q
A 10 9 6 5 2
♣ A J 10 9 5
West
♠ 7 5 4 3
Q J 8
A J 10 3
♣ Q 8
East
♠ 2
K 7 4 3
K 9 6 5 2
♣ K 7 2
South
♠ A J 10 9 8 6
Q 8 7 4
♣ 6 4 3

The Zoom Room is available Monday through Friday, 3:30 pm-5:30 pm (Eastern).

Getting help is easier than ever with the ACBL Zoom Chat service.
Simply click the "Join Zoom Chat" button below to be taken to our dedicated zoom room.
Once there, click the "Launch Meeting" button to start your session. To hear us and vice-versa - don't forget to "Join with computer audio."

If the Zoom Room isn't available and you need answers, you can email us at membership@acbl.org.

Join Zoom Chat