Board 08

Board 08

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

Dealer:

West

Vuln:

None

W N E S
1NT Pass 3NT End

Contract:

3NT by West

Lead:

♠2

We have 28 HCPs and eight top tricks. But the hands are very flat, with no fit, and lots of low cards.

The opening lead of ♠2 shows an honour in the suit. We can take advantage of the only decent intermediate cards we have: ♠10 and ♠9. We should play low in dummy. If North holds both missing honours, then ♠9 will win. As the cards lie, South plays the jack, and we cover with the king. But now we have a marked finesse position against North: we have ♠A10 in dummy, and we know that North holds ♠Q. So, we will be able to lead a low spade to the ten to make our ninth trick.