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You get to 3NT after right hand opponent opens 1 heart:
Hands
were:
10xx
xx
Qxx
AKxxx
Axx
KJ
Axx
QJxxx
The bidding has gone 1 Heart- Double – Pass -2 Clubs – Pass -3 Clubs –Pass -3 Hearts – Pass – 3 No Trump – Pass - Pass – Pass.
Your 3 Club bid was a stretch and partners’ 3 Heart bid asked for a stopper. Now you have to make 3 No Trump. The lead is 10 of Hearts ducked to your Jack. There are 8 tricks with 1 Heart -1 Spade -1 Diamond and 5 Clubs. Number 9 can only come from the Queen of diamonds. Since they can cash at least 4 Heart tricks if you lead toward the Dummy's Queen, you will have to get right hand opponent to lead away from the Diamond King if they have it. So you run 5 rounds of clubs reducing all hands to 7 cards. Right Hand Opponent has come down to Kx-AQx-KJ and you to Axx-K-Axx. You now lead a spade to your Ace and then a low spade to Right Hand Opponent’s King. After cashing the AQx of hearts they must lead a Diamond around to your Queen for your 9th and contract fulfilling trick!
Of course had YOU been defending, you would have foreseen the impending end play and tossed your king of spades under the ace, so that partner could win the next spade and cash a few more spades before leading over to your good hearts!!
Fred Hamilton
ACBL and WBF Grandmaster and member ACBL Hall of Fame. Private lessons available
online or in person.
