3:
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...............A106
...............KJ10
...............AQ865
...............KJ
QJ32.....................8754
Q3.........................9872
K10732..................4
84..........................AQ92
...............K9
...............A654
...............J9
...............107653
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We start with a hand that illustrates the value of non-informative auctions. The standard auction is 1D-1H; 2NT-3NT. Marudy had a Stayman auction after a Mexican 2D opening bid, but it was not clear which major South held. After the standard or 2/1 auction East likely leads a spade. After an auction that does not reveal which major South holds, a heart is the slightly more solid choice.
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After a heart lead declarer can force ten tricks. Four heart tricks are ready to go. West has to discard on the third heart and any choice weakens defensive prospects one way or another, either reducing E-W spade winners from two to one, making it easier for declarer to pick up four diamond tricks or allowing communications to be cut if West parts with a club. A spade lead, on the other hand, strikes gold. Whatever dummy and declarer do on the first trick, E-W can establish two spade winners whichever hand gains the lead; declarer is lucky to scramble together nine tricks.
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4:
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...............Q985
...............J8
...............65
...............Q10632
A1062.....................4?
52............................AK7643
KJ98.......................Q1074
AJ5..........................K8
...............KJ73
...............Q109
...............A32
...............974
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Here was our reasonable slam; can 6D be reached? The auctions had different rebids from responder after 1D-1H; 1S: 2H only, after which E-W were a bit lucky to reach 3NT; 4H ending the auction; a fourth-suit 2C followed by 2NT-3NT. I would like 2C followed by 3D; East has control of all the side suits, good diamond support and a likely source of tricks in hearts. Give West, for instance, xxxx x AKxxx Axx, and slam becomes a huge favourite. But, even if slam is not reached (and it would be tricky), 5D turns out to be a better spot than 3NT, although not so good as 4H.
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Even if the lead is a club, 3NT is unlikely to produce more than nine tricks. A club into West's tenace provides trick number six; then three more can be established in either red suit and South has a chance to find the spade switch. If both red suits split 3-2, hearts will take eleven tricks and diamonds twelve, with some additional chances with 4-1 diamonds. A spade lead will sink 6D if trumps are 4-1 unless the layout is very specific - North would need the singleton ace.
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5:
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...............98632
...............J32
...............KJ108
...............J
AQ104..................KJ7
AK........................Q106
965.......................3
9643.....................KQ10752?
...............5
...............98754
...............AQ742
...............A8
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At IMPs E-W would pick 5C in a flash. 3NT (although reached on the only uncontested auction of 1C-1S; 1NT-3NT) is out of the question with the running diamonds and 5C is almost a sure thing. At matchpoints, however, 4S would win the bidding contests. 5C was reached after the lengthy auction P-1C-1D-1S; P-2C-P-2D; P-2S-P-3C; 3D-4D-X-5C. N-S found what appeared to be a nice sacrifice in 4Dx after P-1C-2NT-P(?); 3D-P-P-4C; 4D-P-P-X. If West gets to respond 1S, I like a 2S raise from East at matchpoints, likely leading to 1C-1S; 2S-4S.
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5C makes unless South holds all three trumps or the defence manages a ruff. On the actual layout it can be defeated. South leads the singleton spade, wins the first club and puts North on lead with a diamond for a spade ruff. Against 4S N-S can pick up a third trick with a club ruff but it is a trap. The only defence is to force East in diamonds twice before the club ruff is taken; otherwise declarer can draw trumps and run the clubs. N-S take nine tricks playing in diamonds; either the hearts or spades will establish so long as declarer delays drawing trumps.
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9:
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...............982
...............K7
...............96532
...............AK8
K4.............................5
AJ9843.....................Q1065
KQ84........................AJ7
5................................J9732
...............AQJ10763
...............2
...............10
...............Q1064
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This was our big Battle of the Majors. Our Souths all took rather different actions. One opened 3S, ending the auction. Another opened 1S and eventually declared 4S after P-P-1S-2H; 2S-4H-4S. The longest auction was P-P-P-1H; P-2H-2S-3H; 3S-4H-4S. I much prefer a 4S opening bid in third seat; it has chances of making opposite Kx xxxx xxxx Kxx and there is a much better chance of E-W's making the wrong decision if the bidding is rushed. On either of our longer auctions East or West might have gone to 5H, a much harder call to find if South opens 4S.
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Remarkably, both partnerships are identically situated. Each side has two losers and a ten-card trump fit missing the king, with the finesse losing to produce a result right on target for the Law: twenty total trumps and twenty tricks combined for the two sides. 4S is slightly more precarious; if trumps are 3-0 there could be a club loser.
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11:
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...............10973
...............107652
...............3
...............A96
AKJ........................84
A8..........................QJ4
AK862...................QJ1054
KQ3.......................1054?
...............Q652
...............K93
...............97
...............J872
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This was a lucky slam if E-W had found the right one. It was probably fortunate for the E-W pairs to miss slam that those Easts made a point-count response and that it was 2H showing 4-6 points, with the East hand a maximum. Had the split been 23-7 instead of 24-6, West might have gotten busier. One pair did reach slam, but, alas, the wrong one, after 2C-2D; 3D-4D; 6NT. We also see here the value of control cards - slam becomes considerably better if East holds Kxx in hearts instead of QJx, although, had West held A10x, QJx might have been a better holding for East.
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6NT W only makes after a club lead, but 6D can make after any lead if declarer guesses which black honour to place with South and will always make after a spade lead as well. The main play point after a neutral red lead is that declarer will likely lead a club to the king first. If North wins then declarer can take the second club before finessing in spades. If North ducks sufficiently smoothly declarer may go wrong, cash the top spades in case the queen drops and then lead to the second club.
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16:
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...............1042
...............J7
...............10986
...............KQJ5
95.............................AKJ83
10542.......................A
AK............................742
A9742.......................10863?
...............Q76
...............KQ9863
...............QJ53
...............----
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This hand I include as the best played hand of the game, Rita declaring 5Cx W =. The auction was P-P-1S-2H; 3C-P-4C-4H; P-P-5C-P; P-X, reasonable enough for North to expect three trump winners if the ace lay with West. But it turns out the hands fit so well that N-S cannot take more than two tricks. The opening lead was the heart jack to the ace; then came diamond to ace, heart ruff, diamond to king, heart/diamond discard/ruff, spade ace, spade king, spade ruff, heart/diamond/ruff, then dummy led the club ten to North who was left with KQ5 in trumps while West held A97.
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The play was almost perfect; 5C cannot be set by force. The one chance the defence was given came on the lead of the third heart, which allowed North to ruff high and get off lead. As North held four diamonds to East's three, the key for North is to keep the fourth diamond for an exit card after the second high ruff. Declarer's plan is to take a spade and diamond ruff in hand before leading the third heart. If North discards dummy ruffs and leads a spade; North overruffs West but then must lead a high club to the ace leaving North with C K5, East with S J C 10 and West on lead with H 10 C 9 to force an eleventh trick by leading a heart. If West ruffs high and gets out with a diamond West can ruff in either hand and will come to two of the last three tricks by ruffing a spade low or leading a heart through North. The real moral of the story may be the danger of the double, which, by placing all the trumps with North, clues declarer in to the winning line of play.
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