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A deal from the
Cheadle Hulme Club Duplicate on 17th October.
After a short auction East played in two spades on the lead of the diamond five to the jack and queen. East played a spade
to the jack which held and the spade ace on which South played the
ten. The king or queen would have been a better play, following
the sound principle of playing the card you're known to have.
East now knew that the spades weren't breaking. Hoping to endplay
South at some point to lead away from the diamond king declarer played
a club to the ace and another club, South, Alec Smalley, found the good
defence of unblocking the club queen under the ace and followed to next
club with the three. Declarer took the heart finesse and
exited with a spade. South cashed the last spade and was able to
exit with a club, holding declarer to eight tricks.
Declarer's play was not of the best. He should have paid more attention to the diamond card led. If this was a genuine fourth highest, then he can read that the diamonds are breaking five-two and make nine tricks by stripping South of his hearts and endplaying him to lead away from either the diamond king or club queen. |
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