In Quest of Overtricks

Every bridge player knows that it is only logical to go after over tricks in match-points in order to outstrip the field or at least tie with them.

Declarer, in today’s deal from a Match Point contest, went after the over trick and suffered defeat because of the adverse distribution as well as the excellent defence that West found at the table.

West leads the S2. Plan the play.

Comments on the bidding

South's 2 Clubs was strong and artificial. Though North has the values for a positive response, he considered the quality of his club suit to be inadequate, and so made a semi-positive bid with an artificial 2D. Thereafter, bidding went along natural lines and the partnership settled for 6C.
Being a match-point event, 6H would have been a better choice.

How the play went

Declarer won the opening lead with the ace, pitching a small heart from hand. He called for the ten of clubs from dummy and let it ride when east played low. It held the trick and when he played a second club, East showed out by discarding a spade. Declarer started perspiring, paused for a while, and inserted the jack from his hand. When West ducked, declarer started sweating profusely. He correctly guessed that West was up to something.

He cashed the CA, played four rounds of diamonds to pitch two spades from dummy. Declarer cashed the HA and played the ten next. West ruffed and played a spade to defeat the contract.

Discussion:

The full hand is given below

You would have noticed that all declarer had to do was to ruff the opening lead, cash the CA, overtake the CJ with the queen in dummy, and dislodge the CK from the west hand by playing the ten.

However, you should remember he was playing match-points and did not want to lose the over trick if East had K-x / K-x-x in clubs.

Instead of blaming the declarer for his optimistic play, why don’t we praise west for ducking twice with the club king?

If West wins the second club, the CA in declarer’s hand can deal with the spade return, giving him an easy twelve tricks.

Also when declarer cunningly played the ten of hearts after cashing the ace, wily old fox that he was, West guessed correctly, in turn, that declarer was up to something. He was wide awake to ruff it.

Play out the deal with a deck of cards to understand the beauty of the marvellous defence by west.

Do put down your comments on the hand in the comments section below

Disclaimer : All opinions are entirely those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the BridgeFromHome Team.