Deals 1 - 4 : Bidding and Play

(Lesson 4)
(Down)


North *
S - A 8 3
H - Q J 10 9 2
D - 9 8
C - 9 7 2 		Dummy (E)
S - Q J 2
H - 7 6 5
D - 7 6 4
C - A K J 6
Declarer (W)
S - 6 5 4
H - A 8 4 3
D - A K Q J
C - Q 5 		South
S - K 10 9 7
H - K
D - 10 5 3 2
C - 10 8 4 3

Deal 1 - Dealer is North     (Trick by trick)

Bidding : 1NT (W) - 3NT (E) - Pass (W)

Opening Lead : Queen of Hearts (N) = top of a solid sequence

Declarer can count 9 sure winners : Ace of Hearts, Ace King Queen Jack of Diamonds, and Ace King Queen Jack of Clubs. This is enough to make the 3NT contract, and there is therefore no need to develop extra tricks.

Declarer Play
High card from the short side first principle
Declarer wins the first trick in his hand with the Heart Ace. He then leads the Queen of Clubs (high card from the short suited side first) from his hand, followed by a small Club to Dummy's Ace. Dummy cashes the remaining two high Clubs (K and J) in Clubs. Dummy now leads a small Diamond to Declarer's Ace which wins the trick. Declarer plays three more rounds of Diamonds leading K, Q and finally the J from his hand. He has now made his required 9 tricks.
At trick 10 Declarer leads a small Spade. North wins with the Ace and wins the remaining tricks with his Heart winners.

Score = 40 + 2 x 30 trick pts + 300 bonus pts = 400 pts total


(Down - Up)


Declarer (N)
S - A 7 4 3
H - A K 7
D - A Q J
C - A 9 5 		East *
S - K J 9 5
H - 10 6
D - 5 4
C - Q J 10 8 3
West
S - Q 10
H - Q J 9 8 2
D - 8 7 6
C - K 7 2 		Dummy (S)
S - 8 6 2
H - 5 4 3
D - K 10 9 3 2
C - 6 4

Deal 2 - Dealer is East     (Trick by trick)

Bidding : 2NT (N) - 3NT (S) - Pass (N)

Opening Lead : Queen of Clubs (E) = top of a solid sequence

Declarer can count 9 sure winners : A of Spades, A K of Hearts, A K Q J and 10 of Diamonds and A of Clubs.
The Diamond 9 is also a winner, but Dummy has only 5 cards in Diamonds and therefore cannot play that suit for a 6th time.

Declarer Play
High card from the short side first principle
As in Deal 1 the correct strategy is to play the high cards from the short suited side first.
After winning the first trick with the Ace of Clubs, first play the Ace of Diamonds, then the Queen of Diamonds and in the 4th trick the Jack of Diamond which you overtake in Dummy's hand with the King. Now the lead to the next trick is in Dummy where you can play the remaining to winning Diamond tricks.

Score = 40 + 2 x 30 trick pts + 300 bonus pts = 400 pts total


(Down - Up)


Dummy (N)
S - A 7 5
H - 7 6 2
D - K 3
C - J 10 9 7 5 		East
S - Q 10 9 8
H - K
D - 10 9 8 5 2
C - 8 4 2
West
S - K 4
H - J 10 9 8 5 3
D - J 6 4
C - A 3 		Declarer (S *)
S - J 6 3 2
H - A Q 4
D - A Q 7
C - K Q 6

Deal 3 - Dealer is South     (Trick by trick)

Bidding : 1NT (S) - 2NT (N) - 3NT (S) - Pass (N)

Opening Lead : Jack of Hearts (W) = top of a solid sequence

Declarer (N) counts 5 sure winners, A of Spades, A of Hearts and A K Q of Diamonds. The King of Hearts drops under Declarer's Ace on the first trick, which makes the Q of Hearts a 6th winner.

The extra 3 tricks required to make the 3NT contract can come from Clubs. As soon as opponents Club Ace is removed there will be 4 tricks established in the Club suit.

Declarer Play
Forcing out opponen'ts Ace to set up winners in a suit
High card from the short suited side first
Est drops on the opening lead his singleton King and Declarer wins the trick with the Ace. At trick 2 he immediately plays the King of Clubs (if the Ace does not drop lead it again with the Queen). This will force out opponents Club Ace and establish the remaining Clubs as winners. Declarer regains the lead again the following trick with the Heart Queen. He then leads the Club Queen, followed by a small Club to Dummy's remaining Club winners. After that Dummy plays the King of Diamonds (high card from the short side first), followed by a small Diamond to Declarer's King and Queen.
Played correctly Declarer wins 10 tricks (1 trick more than required).

Score = 40 + 3 x 30 trick pts + 300 bonus pts = 430 pts total


(Top - Up)


North
S - 5 3 2
H - 10 8 7 6
D - 8 5 3
C - A 10 2 		Declarer (E)
S - A K Q
H - A K Q
D - K Q
C - 7 6 5 4 3
Dummy (W *)
S - 7 6 4
H - J 4 2
D - A J 10 9 2
C - K Q 		South
S - J 10 9 8
H - 9 5 3
D - 7 6 4
C - J 9 8

Deal 4 - Dealer is West     (Trick by trick)

Bidding : Pass (W) - 2NT (E) - 6NT (W) - Pass (E)

Opening Lead : Jack of Spades (S) = top of a solid sequence

Declarer (E) counts 11 sure winners : A K Q of Spades, A K Q of Hearts, and A K Q J and 10 of Diamonds.
The 12th trick will come from Dummy's Club King or Queen after forcing out opponent's Ace.

Declarer Play
Forcing out opponen'ts Ace to set up a winner in a suit
Overtaking an Honour with an Honour to gain the lead in Dummy
Declarer wins the opening lead with the Spade Ace, and then plays a small Club to Dummy's King. If North does not takes the trick Declarer's 12 trick has been won. If North does capture the Club King with his Ace Dummy's Club Queen will be established as the 12th trick. After regaining the lead (in Spades or Clubs) Declarer plays the Diamond King from his hand. The following trick he plays the Diamond Queen and overtakes it with Dummy's Diamond Ace !
The lead for the next trick is now back in Dummy, who plays the remaining Diamond winners. A small Heart (or Spade) returns the lead to Declarer's hand to cash the remaining winners in Spades and Hearts.

Score = 40 + 5 x 30 trick pts + 800 bonus pts = 990 pts total


(Lesson 4 - Deal 5)

Copyright © 2006 Michael Furstner (Jazclass).