Friday, February 5, 2016

Trump power


This is a hand from an internal swiss teams tournament at Google.

You are South and end up in 2S after West opens a 15-17 NT.


IMPS
None 
 North
♠ 87
♥ T42
♦ AQT73
♣ 874

  


 South
♠ KQJT6
♥ A7653
♦ K
♣ Q6

W N E S
1NT1P2C22S
PPP


2C need not guarantee a 4 card major (in case of an invitational hand). They were playing a form of crawling stayman which could be bid with a 4 card major and 5 card minor.

LHO leads the HK which you duck. LHO follows with the HQ (RHO follows too) and you win the A.

How will you play? [Please think about it before reading on]




Given that RHO has <5 points, they likely have a 4 card spade and were trying to get out low in a suit contract.

Now you can practically guarantee the contract thanks to the trump spots in the dummy!

After winning the heart Ace, play the DK overtaken by the A and DQ throwing a club. If RHO ruffs the second diamond (unlikely, as LHO would have opened 1NT with 6 diamonds) you discard a club, and can hope to enjoy hearts. So assume RHO follows to the second diamond.
 
Now play a heart! The idea being trying to ruff a heart for the 8th trick (4 spades, 1 heart, 2 diamonds and need one more).

The opponents might win the third heart and force you in clubs. You ruff and play the fourth heart and try to ruff it in dummy.  If opponents ruff the fourth heart and try to force you in clubs, you can try to ruff the fifth heart. If opponents ruff the fourth heart and try to draw trumps, you can enjoy the long heart trick.

If opponents overruff both the 8 and 7 (with the 9 and A), you make 5 spades in hand, a heart and 2 diamonds.

There are other lines that work too, given that RHO likely has 4 spades and 5 clubs, but the ruffing line is pretty nice and I believe it is percentage play even if RHO didn't bid 2C.

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