It’s not often partner doubles an enemy grand slam when you are looking at two aces. How do you plan to defend?
After West opens with a weak 2
you arrive in 6
. East leads the 7.What is your plan?
South opens 2
(semi-forcing) and rebids 3NT over North’s relay of 2{. North raises to 6NT and you have to find a lead.
What do you lead?
Your opening lead?
What do you bid?
Answers (Follow the Arrows)
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THE ANSWERS
It’s not often partner doubles an enemy grand slam when you are looking at two aces. How do you plan to defend?
It should be clear that partner’s double is directing you to find an unusual lead. As you can see by looking at the full deal the 2 will produce the maximum penalty.
The bidding of the East-West pair leaves a lot to be desired! At the table North was not wide awake and after cashing the A (200 points down the drain, celebrated by cashing the A (kissing goodbye to another 200). In the other room your team-mates collected +100 from 6 doubled. If you led the 2 you win 12 IMPs. If you cashed the A first you collect 9 IMPs. If you cashed the A and then tried the spade ace your gain is 5 IMPs.
After West opens with a weak 2 you arrive in 6. East leads the 7.What is your plan?
Your general plan will be to win the opening lead with the A, cash two top spades, unblock the K and cross to dummy with a diamond to discard your losing heart. When West turns out to have the master trump it costs you nothing to ruff a club before conceding a trump trick.Then if the diamonds don’t break you will be able to squeeze East on this layout:
In the other room the North-South pair were content to stop in 4and they made 11 tricks for +450. If you would have made your slam you win 11 IMPs. If you went down you lose the same 11 IMPs.
South opens 2(semi-forcing) and rebids 3NT over North’s relay of 2
. North raises to 6NT and you have to find a lead.
I hope you selected the Q! The full deal was:
What do you lead?
Only a heart will do!
Your team-mates made 6in the other room so you win 14 IMPs if you led a heart, otherwise it’s a flat board. You may berate your partner for failing to double 3but in real life the World Champion sitting East led a heart anyway!
Your opening lead?
Trying to cash the A will prove to be expensive!
In the other room your pair collected only +500 from 6 doubled so you gain 12 IMPs if you led a spade. If you tried theA you concede -1630 and 15 IMPs.What do you bid?
If you think partner is showing a strong balanced hand then there is a lot to be said for passing.
Almost any defence will net +1100. In the other room North-South recorded +180 so you win 14 IMPs by passing. If you removed the double to 2 then you lose 2 IMPs. On this simple set of six boards you could be anywhere between +61 and -12 IMPs. How did you fare?
