Big Slam Magazine - Flipbook - Page 58
From Michael Courtney
Hi, the winning line in that 6} (under deep indeed
or some such) is really not hard to find after
(a) receiving a 1] overcall and
(b) laying down the }A at trick two. This was it:
When I pointed the line out after we failed, none
of the three participants had any trouble following
it. Passing 1]X is equally obvious.
A similar deal is 6[ from match 12.
Open. I don't know which line those declarers
took. (Running the ]J at trick two is perhaps a
better line.)
One more from Round 9.
I opened 4] in fourth seat. On the {Q lead, I won
ace, cashed two trumps. (Felt very much as
though LHO held three)
I very much wanted to hook the club, pitch a diamond on the {K, }K-A-ruff and exit with a trump
to North. If North has the last club, throw a
heart… It would have worked, but it's so anti-percentage compared to just playing LHO for the
}A.
So I led a diamond up and failed.
An early spade finesse is one way to overcome
4-1 hearts and }K offside. I used another – club
lead to the ace, two top trumps.
After a club discard from North, ace-king, and a
spade ruff. 3-3 was not unsurprising, since the
club discard strongly suggests five.
Then top club throwing a diamond, club ruff, another top trump, then winning spades. 6[ made
at both tables in the South Australian match in the