NEWPLICATE HAND - September, 2008

DEALER: South

VUL: North-South

NORTH

♠ A8

♥ 93

WEST ♦ A10765 EAST

♠ J10973 ♣ 9642 ♠ 542

♥ Q104 ♥ J865

♦ KJ3 ♦ Q9

♣ K10 SOUTH ♣ Q753

♠ KQ6

♥ AK72

♦ 842

♣ AJ8

SUGGESTED BIDDING:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT Pass 2NT Pass

3NT Pass Pass Pass

With 8 HCP and a 5-card suit, North has enough to invite game whether playing 15-17 or 16-18 NT.

SUGGESTED PLAY:

West will likely lead the ♠J (top of a sequence). Declarer starts with three spade tricks, two heart tricks, one diamond trick and one club trick. To make nine tricks, declarer needs to develop his diamond suit. Assuming the missing diamonds to divide 3-2, declarer needs to give up two diamond tricks. However, declarer must be careful to keep an entry to the dummy to take the established diamond tricks later. If the opponents continue to lead spades, dummy’s ♠A will soon disappear. The only remaining entry is the ♦A. So declarer must duck the first two diamonds, losing them to the opponents. Only on the third round of diamonds, can declarer afford to play dummy’s ♦A. Now the lead is in the dummy and declarer can take the two established diamond tricks.