There is a catch

Three words with which I would describe Hong Kong: wicked, rad and breath taking! I really think it is one of the coolest (if not the coolest) cities in the world. I loved everything about Hong Kong because it combines it all: flair, life, fashion, business, multicultural and one hell of a sky line. South opens a classic vulnerable weak two-bid and North takes a fair shot by bidding game. West leads the ♦7. South wins in dummy and draws three rounds of trumps. West having three of them. How should you continue in order to make your contract? This looks like an easy hand. You can knock out the ♣A and hope to make five if the opponents fail to take two heart tricks in the meantime. There is a catch, though. What if clubs divide 4-0? Say you lead the ♣3 to the King, if East has all four clubs, he can let king win. You now have two club losers along with two possible heart losers. Instead of risking a 4- 0 club break you can attack hearts and set up dummy's jack. This will give you ten sure tricks. Alternatively, you can attack cubs if you do it carefully. Lead the ♣J from your hand. Whether East takes the Ace or not you have a sure club entry to dummy to cash the ♥J. Assume East ducks the ♣J. You will switch to Hearts leading the K of Heart from your hand. By continuing with 10 of Heart at your next chance you will establish dummy's Heart J and you will still have time to get to dummy with club. Note that your 9 of club will stop East from leading clubs and setting up a club trick for the defense.

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The Right Judgment

Japan has a yearly flower-viewing celebration called hanami, where thousands of people hold feasts under blooming cherry-blossom trees, or sakura. This tradition is over a thousand years old. The cherry blossoms trees bloom briefly; the blossoms are often seen as metaphor for the ephemeral beauty of living. 

The 2♥ bid was a transfer to spades. North's 3♠ showed six spades and game invitation. Despite a minimum 1NT, the three-card spade support, the ruffing potential in club and three aces persuaded South to bid to game. If 4♠failed, no doubt North and South would blame each other for overbidding.

West leads the ♣K, which is allowed to hold. South wins the ♣Q continuation and leads a spade to the King. When West discards a club on this, you have a sure trump loser. Dummy's heart is led at trick four and East wins with the ♥A. East's club return is ruffed by you. How do you play from here?

The declarer continued with the ♥J. West played low and a diamond was discarded from dummy. Judging that West would have heart length and that the ♥K was unlikely to drop on the next round, declarer continued with the ♥Q, King from West, ruffed in dummy. When the ♥10 dropped, South's ♥9 was high. After a spade to the Ace, and the ♦A was cashed, followed by the ♥9, on which dummy's last diamond was discarded. East could ruff but dummy had the rest of tricks. Good judgment

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Consider entries

South ducked two high spades from West and cashed the third one, East following with the ♠9. Counting nine winners gets declarer only partway towards his goal. Barring a bad diamond break, South counted nine winners — one spade, two hearts, four diamonds and two clubs.

Without further ado, South played the ♦A and ♦K and a third diamond, getting both good news and bad. The good news was that diamonds split, the bad news was that he couldn't reach his ♣A. After West had won the third diamond, he cashed his high spade and exited with a club to dummy’s ♣K. With

the lead locked in dummy, West waited for his ♥Q and West took five defensive tricks.

To make the game, South should consider entries as well as the number of winning tricks. After winning the third spade, South should play a low diamond and duck it completely. West wins and cashes his high spade, but that is all, South’s diamond entries assure him that his ♣A will cash and instead of down one, South collects his game and rubber.

Those we loved don’t go away; they walk beside us everyday, Unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed.

Blog: http://www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID: @HemaDeora

It Is Safe to Win