This deal is from a
Northern League match in 2009. Six clubs is a
reasonable contract, needing either the spades to break 3-3, or the
clubs to break 2-2 or the hand with four spades to hold three clubs,
plus some additional chances in the spade suit. However it is not
easy to bid. South isn't quite strong enough to open two clubs,
so opens
one club and West overcalls one heart.
Can you suggest a plausible sequence to six clubs now? How would you play it on a heart lead? Solution and analysis A possible sequence is
North
should raise to two clubs with eight points, then South shows the
second suit,
North has a difficult bid now, maybe three clubs is too
conservative. South then makes a
forcing three heart bid and North shows three card support for South's
spades in
case a 4-3 fit game is the right place to play. South now makes a
further slam try with four diamonds, North should now jump to six clubs
with all his
points apart from the diamond jack working.
In the play after a heart lead two rounds of trumps (ace then king) revealed that West started with three clubs, then spade ace followed by a spade to the queen dropped the eight and jack of spades from West, so declarer could now take the club queen and finesse against East's ten of spades to make the contract. |
