Why was I driving in the slow lane of the motorway? Simple. I was enjoying listening to two of my favourite half-hour radio programmes: “The Last Word” and (especially) Tim Harford’s wonderful “More or Less” (all about numbers – right up any Bridge player’s street) and didn’t want to arrive before the latter had finished.
South Deals N-S Vul |
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West | North | East | South |
1 ♣1 | |||
1 ♠ | 2 ♦ | 2 ♠2 | 2 NT3 |
Pass | 3 NT4 | Pass | Pass |
Pass |
3 NT by South: Lead: ♠ Q |
Earlier in the year – it was a Friday afternoon in January – I headed to Oxford in the slow lane of the M40, planning to play a weekend of Bridge in the fast lane when I arrived. For it was the first of the two much anticipated Home Countries Camrose weekends.
On this deal from England v Ireland, West led the queen of spades v the fast lane 3 NT. Declarer immediately won the ace, led the jack of diamonds at trick two and, when West played low, rose with the king (key play) and led back a diamond. The queen and the ace crashed together and declarer was soon claiming his 22-count vulnerable game: with two spades, two hearts, four diamonds and a club.
Why had declarer played the diamonds in this manner – the percentage play is to run the jack? The point is this: West, not knowing declarer held diamond length, would likely have covered the jack of diamonds with the queen holding ♦ Qx, for fear declarer held ♦ Jx or ♦ Jxx (covering promotes partner’s ♦ A9(7x). So when West did not cover with the queen, declarer placed the queen with East.
Here’s a variant on that same theme:
Dummy
♦ A 10 x x x
You
♦ K J 9 x
If you have not shown your diamond support, then play the suit by leading the jack, but, if West doesn’t cover (he likely will with ♦ Qx,even ♦ Qxx), rise with the ace and lead back to the nine.