[inquiry]

Here is another hand for the BIL members --- Please allow them a few days to answer

This is a hand that was played May 4, 2004 in the main room. Showing remarkable bidding skill, 11 of the 16 tables bid this slam, but one bid it in notrump. However 30% of the declerers went down. With trumps splitting 2-2, the contract is laydown. Do you see how? (BTW, this is the bidding from the table where I saved the hand when declarer went down.. i am not advocating this auction is best).

Scoring: IMP

West North East South

 -     -     -     1♥
 Pass  2NT   Pass  3♥
 Pass  3NT   Pass  4♣
 Dbl   4♦    Pass  4♠
 Pass  4NT   Pass  6♥
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

---

opening lead ♦J

[ack_hh]

Draw trumps, play all clubs, play all dias (discarding one spade), end in dummy.
Play a spade, finessing the ten. If the ten holds the trick, you will lose only one spade trick; if the finesse fails,
west is on the lead and has to play into your remaining AJ or give you a ruff & discard.

BTW - what was lead?

This post has been edited by inquiry: 2004-September-25, 19:04

[inquiry]

This is a re-occuring endplay theme, and this one is a fairly easy version of it. Win the club ACE (save the king for an all important entry to dummy.

Play two top trumps from your hand, and if necessary, win a thrid on in dummy. Now cash the Three diamonds - discarding a spade - and ruff the last diamond. Now with your carefully protected club King, enter dummy and lead a spade. If your RHO plays a low spade, play the jack (of course if he plays the King or Queen, jump up and win the ACE and continue spades). Note the need to conserve an entry (the club King).

You will find other version of this kind of play right here in the beginner's forum, see... Chamaco's BBO slams #12 which is a much harder version of a similar concept, or cherdano's Nice problem seen somewhere else...... If you want to venture out of the BIL section, you might look at BBO Makable slam #13 which features a similar play as well.

Ben

[bearmum]

take K ♦ then 2 rounds of trumps ( KEEP the 2♥ in hand for entry to dummy later )
A♦ Q♦ discarding a ♠
A♣ K♣ ruff the last ♦

go back to dummy with a ♥ and finesse J♠ then if it loses--west then has to give you a ruff and discard or lead into your A ten of ♠