Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club: Oct. 30 Game

Bridge News:

Here is an extremely interesting hand that showed up on the Oct. 30 ACBL-wide Instant Matchpoint game.

Before reviewing the bidding and play, try to visualize how the bidding might proceed, and then how the hand should be played.

Board 5: North was the dealer; North/South were vulnerable.

Granted this is a pretty sophisticated auction, but the great players, and many good players, are almost always able to find a cold slam like this. North's 1NT opening shows

*Showing at least 5 spades

**Showing spades and diamonds, and a good hand, forcing to at least game

***Showing 1st or 2nd round control of hearts. A control is the Ace, King, singleton or void in the suit bid

****Showing 1st or 2nd round control of spades, as diamonds has been agreed as trumps.

Opening lead: A, to which everyone follows. In all likelihood, West then follows with A, which declarer ruffs. Trumps are drawn in two rounds, after which declarer plays his/her 3 high spades, ruffs the 4th spade and claims the rest of the tricks.

When this hand was played at the local club, one N/S pair played 4 making 4, another played 4 down one, two pairs played 5 making 6, and the 5 th pair played 3 making 6. Unfortunately, for those players playing a 6 contract, the A lead and/or the bad distribution of the spade suit will limit declarer to 11 tricks.