14th Dec 2022


Dealer N Game All

S 985
H AK85
D K6
C 10863
   


   
S AK74
H 6
D A83
C AKQ54



A deal from an EBU duplicate.

After East opens with a weak two diamonds, how do you play six notrump on the queen of spades lead with East discarding a diamond on the first trick?.

Scroll down for solution

































Solution


The conditions are ripe for an endplay on West in the spade suit, if you can remove all West's non-spade cards.
So play five rounds of clubs (unblocking from dummy) followed by two diamonds, forcing West down to three spades and two hearts, then cash two top hearts and run the nine of spades which will endplay West provided that you remembered to unblock the eight of spades at trick one.

The full deal was

Dealer North
S
985
   
Game All
H
AK85
   
    D K6
   
    C 10863
   
S
QJ10632
    S

H
J1032
    H
Q974
D
52
    D
QJ10974
C
7
    C
J92
    S
AK74
   
    H
6
   
    D
A83
   
    C
AKQ54