Page 164 - Learn Bridge Ver2_Neat

Count your top tricks by power. 2 spades, 3 Í A 6 5 4
diamonds and a club. 6 in total. Ì Q J 6
Add tricks from other sources. You have a Ë Q 5 4
possible trick by position in spades and, if Ê A 7 6
Í 10 7 2 Í Q 8 3
the suit breaks 3-3 a trick by length. Ì K 4 3 2 Ì A 9 8 5
However, more easily you have 2 possible Ë 10 9 2 Ë J 3
tricks by length in diamonds. Ê K 10 2 Ê J 5 4 3
Manage the hand. Get in as soon as you can Í K J 9
13 Ì 10 7
(this might be by winning the third round of
6 8 Ë A K 8 7 6
hearts giving you a trick). Play ËA and a 13 Ê Q 9 8
diamond to the Queen. You now know the South North
diamond suit is playing for 5 tricks and so 1NT 3NT
play a spade to the Jack which, in this case, All pass
holds the trick. Now ÍK and a spade to the
Ace and get the good news that the Í6 is a trick. Win your 4th spade and
play your diamonds (breaking the rule "honours from the short hand first)
because you must play the Ace and then the Queen to make sure that the
suit is running.
Play. Notice that it would be wrong to play diamonds first because you
will have to make 2 discards from North and you really don’t know what
to throw at an early stage so try the spades first. (Work on the suit that
both keeps control and needs the most effort).

Hand 4
Í 10 4 3 2
Ì Q 10 8 2
Remember that when West opens Ë J 3 2
the bidding 1NT that East should Ê K 2
announce “12-14". Í A 9 8 Í K 7
After the opening bid East has 11 Ì A 7 6 Ì K J 4
Ë K 10 8 6 Ë A 9 7 5
points and knows this is a Maybe hand
Ê Q J 4 Ê 10 9 5 3
and that game should make if partner
Í Q J 6 5
holds a maximum for his opening. So, he 6 Ì 9 5 3
raises to 2NT and, with a full 14 points, 14 11 Ë Q 4
West bids the game. We are in notrump 9 Ê A 8 7 6
West East
so make C. A. M. P.
1NT 2NT
3NT All pass

150