North’s
double is ‘negative’ (for take-out). Your rebid of 2NT suggests 18
or 19 points and this is raised directly to a small slam. West gives
nothing away with his heart lead, won with the 10. How would you play
the contract? You can count ten top tricks, with an eleventh easily
available in clubs. West’s overall makes him a strong favourite to
hold the club king, so at Trick 2 you lead a club towards the queen.
West cannot afford to rise with the king and dummy’s queen wins the
trick. What now? If West started with fewer than four clubs, you can
simply play a club to the ace, continuing with a third round if the king
does not fall. This would be poor play, however. You can arrange a
throw-in play on West, however many clubs he holds. You cash your
winners in the red suits, reducing West to four cards. If he keeps K-x
in both black suits, you can throw him in with either suit. Nor can he
fool you by baring a king. If he throws two clubs, or four spades, it
would be clear to play first on that suit, dropping the bare king.
What would you say
now?
Answer
A
couple of decades ago this hand would have been rated too strong for an
overall of IS. It would be standard to double, perhaps intending to
introduce the spades on the next round. Fashions change and now you
would scarcely find any top player who would choose to double on this
hand. They would all overall IS. If North bid 2C and this was followed
by two passes, they would compete further with a (take-out) double on
the second round.
North’s
double is ‘negative’ (for take-out). Your rebid of 2NT suggests 18
or 19 points and this is raised directly to a small slam. West gives
nothing away with his heart lead, won with the 10. How would you play
the contract? You can count ten top tricks, with an eleventh easily
available in clubs. West’s overall makes him a strong favourite to
hold the club king, so at Trick 2 you lead a club towards the queen.
West cannot afford to rise with the king and dummy’s queen wins the
trick. What now? If West started with fewer than four clubs, you can
simply play a club to the ace, continuing with a third round if the king
does not fall. This would be poor play, however. You can arrange a
throw-in play on West, however many clubs he holds. You cash your
winners in the red suits, reducing West to four cards. If he keeps K-x
in both black suits, you can throw him in with either suit. Nor can he
fool you by baring a king. If he throws two clubs, or four spades, it
would be clear to play first on that suit, dropping the bare king.
A
couple of decades ago this hand would have been rated too strong for an
overall of IS. It would be standard to double, perhaps intending to
introduce the spades on the next round. Fashions change and now you
would scarcely find any top player who would choose to double on this
hand. They would all overall IS. If North bid 2C and this was followed
by two passes, they would compete further with a (take-out) double on
the second round.