Aug 01 2010
Unexpected Uppercut
| East Deals None Vul |
♠ 10 4 3 2 ♥ A K 10 ♦ 8 7 ♣ J 10 9 8 |
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|
♠ A 9 8 7
♥ J 9 8 7 ♦ 5 4 3 ♣ A 2 |
|
♠ —
♥ 6 5 3 2 ♦ K Q 10 9 6 ♣ Q 7 4 3 |
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| ♠ K Q J 6 5 ♥ Q 4 ♦ A J 2 ♣ K 6 5 |
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| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | 1 ♠ | ||
| Pass | 3 ♣1 | Pass | 4 ♠ |
| All pass |
|
| 4 ♠ by South |
I was on lead against an uninformative auction by the opponents. Since i have the trump Ace, i decide to lead my doubleton club, hoping partner has a quick entry for a club ruff.
Everyone ducks the second round of clubs, and declarer has a legitimate problem. He sees three sure losers in spades, diamonds and the club he has already lost. He cannot know for sure that my partner does not have the trump ace. (Though honestly, i think my lead strongly suggests that i am the one holding the trump control.) However, declarer decides he had better get rid of his club just in case. Besides… he has so many high spade honors, what’s the danger?
So at trick three, declarer plays three rounds of hearts, discarding the ♣K. Now he deems it safe to lead trump to his King. Lance shows out and i decide to duck the first round of spades. (I can’t see yet how it will matter, but retaining trump control can’t be bad for us.) Declarer is not pleased and moves on the plan B by ducking a diamond.
Lance wins this and leads a club, trying to give me my ruff. Declarer ruffs high. Again i refuse to take my ♠A, and instead pitch a diamond. I don’t think declarer realizes it yet, but he’s just been uppercut. Declarer cashes the ♦A and leads his third diamond, but NOW i ruff in, forcing dummy to ruff with the ♠T while i still retain the ♠A9 over declarer’s ♠J6.
Here was the position when Lance returned a club and declarer ruffed high, with my hand (and dummy) still to play. If i overruff, nothing i return can hurt declarer; he’ll be able to ruff a diamond and pull my remaining trumps.
| East Deals None Vul |
♠ 10 4 3 ♥ - ♦ 8 ♣ J 10 |
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|
♠ A 9 8
♥ J ♦ 5 4 ♣ - |
|
♠ —
♥ 6 ♦ K 10 6 ♣ Q |
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| ♠ J 6 5 ♥ - ♦ A 2 ♣ - |
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If declarer reasons early on that i’m the one with the trump Ace, he can make the contract simply by forcing out the high spade and pulling trumps, making four spades, two clubs (thanks to my lead), three hearts and a diamond. But i do sympathize with his fear about the club ruff.