Board 06

Board 06

Q J 7 4
9 7 2
10 2
K J 6 2
K 8 3
Q J 6 4
A 8 4
A 8 3
N
W   E
 
S
A 6
A K 5 3
7 6 5 3
Q 7 5
10 9 5 2
10 8
K Q J 9
10 9 4

Dealer:

East

Vuln:

E/W

W N E S
1NT Pass
2 Pass 2 Pass
4 End

Contract:

4 by East

Lead:

K

These hands are awful, and we would be no better off in no-trumps. There is a small chance that the diamonds are 3-3, but other than that we are reduced to hoping that North has K.

We had better take the first trick in case they are 5-1. Then after drawing trumps in three rounds, we might try giving up the lead with a diamond to see what happens. (We are hoping that South might end up leading a club, or the that diamonds are 3-3.) But South plugs away with winning diamonds and we must ruff the fourth round in dummy. We should now take A, just in case the king is singleton, and then lead a low club to the queen. We are lucky and make our ten tricks.