[This hand appeared in a local club game a while back. Most of the bidding is lost, but the relevant parts are probably there]
You are South, and end up in a contract of 4S, after RHO had shown 6 clubs.
LHO leads the club Ten and you see the following:
How will you play?
[Please think about it before reading on]
Since this is MPs, you probably should be thinking of overtricks.
If trumps are 2-2, you can draw trumps, and come to 11 tricks, losing a club and a diamond.
If spades divide 3-1, drawing trumps will only give you ten tricks: you will lose a spade, a diamond and a club.
There is one way to cater to 3-1 spades: play one round of trumps, and then try to ruff a club. If LHO ruffs from 3, he will be ruffing your club loser with a natural trump trick, and you will still come to 11 tricks. This line will also give you 11 tricks if trumps are 2-2.
So win the CA, SA, and try to ruff a club, right?
No! There is still a problem.
Imagine LHO has QJx of spades. Now if you play one round of trump before going for the club ruff, LHO can ruff the third club with the J, play a diamond to RHO, and another club from RHO now promotes the spade Q, holding you to 10 tricks.
The solution to this is the scissors coup: cut opponent's communication. You don't want LHO to be able to put RHO in after the third round of clubs is played.
So after winning the CA on trick one, play a diamond from dummy immediately! RHO can win and return a club/heart.
You now draw one round of trumps, and go for the club ruff, making 11 tricks even when trumps break 3-1.
Not always do you need to make multiple "safety plays" [safety play being used loosely] at Matchpoints.
You are South, and end up in a contract of 4S, after RHO had shown 6 clubs.
LHO leads the club Ten and you see the following:
| MPS None | North ♠ T9 ♥ 7542 ♦ 98742 ♣ A3 | |
| South ♠ AK86432 ♥ AK ♦ 5 ♣ K72 |
How will you play?
[Please think about it before reading on]
Since this is MPs, you probably should be thinking of overtricks.
If trumps are 2-2, you can draw trumps, and come to 11 tricks, losing a club and a diamond.
If spades divide 3-1, drawing trumps will only give you ten tricks: you will lose a spade, a diamond and a club.
There is one way to cater to 3-1 spades: play one round of trumps, and then try to ruff a club. If LHO ruffs from 3, he will be ruffing your club loser with a natural trump trick, and you will still come to 11 tricks. This line will also give you 11 tricks if trumps are 2-2.
So win the CA, SA, and try to ruff a club, right?
No! There is still a problem.
Imagine LHO has QJx of spades. Now if you play one round of trump before going for the club ruff, LHO can ruff the third club with the J, play a diamond to RHO, and another club from RHO now promotes the spade Q, holding you to 10 tricks.
The solution to this is the scissors coup: cut opponent's communication. You don't want LHO to be able to put RHO in after the third round of clubs is played.
So after winning the CA on trick one, play a diamond from dummy immediately! RHO can win and return a club/heart.
You now draw one round of trumps, and go for the club ruff, making 11 tricks even when trumps break 3-1.
Not always do you need to make multiple "safety plays" [safety play being used loosely] at Matchpoints.
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