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Bd: 10 Dlr: East Vul: Both IMPS North S AKQJ H A3 D T932 C AKJ West East S 9873 S T52 H T85 H J942 D QJ7 D A54 C Q62 C T98 South S 64 H KQ76 D K86 C 7543 West North East South Pass Pass Pass 2C Pass 2D Pass 2NT Pass 3C Pass 3S Pass 4NT Pass 5D Pass 6NT Pass Pass Pass Lead: H2
As South I was responsible for the bad contract as I'd forgotten that the 2NT rebid is weaker in SAYC then other systems I play. I intended 4NT as quantative (invitational), which is what it should be in a sensible system, but of course we're not the only pair who have never discussed this sequence
- I should have simply raised to 3NT here.However I thought that this contract, despite how poor it is, illustrates how BIL members should approach declarer play ....
1. Count your tricks BEFORE playing from dummy
4 spades, 3 hearts, 2 clubs = 9 tricks
2. Decide where the additional three tricks can come from ... here it is pretty limited!
1 diamond if the ace is onside
1 club if the Queen is onside
1 club if the clubs are 3-3
Minor squeeze chances with hearts and clubs
It is important to spot that diamonds can not generate more than one trick without giving two to the defence.
3. It is clear that this is a poor contract - two finesses and a 3-3 break is about 8% chance of success! Also other players will not be in this contract, they will be in 3NT. So the number of undertricks is not particularly important, as you as losing 10 IMPs as soon as you go down and a lot of undertricks would increase this by a couple of IMPs, so worth taking chances to make it.
4. Plan the play
Having worked out that you must take the club finesse, and then get back to dummy to cash the winning club (if you are lucky enough), you need TWO entries to dummy.
Luckily you have two, a heart and the diamond king - as the diamond ace MUST be onside for the contract to make.
So the easiest line is to win the heart ace and cross back in diamonds to dummy. The reason to play diamonds is that it increases the very minor squeeze chances and gives the defence a chance to go wrong.
Take the club finesse and cash spades, then cash clubs, cross to dummy and cash the winners for 12 tricks! You make 4 spades, 3 hearts, 4 clubs and 1 diamond.
Cheers
Paul
stiff and played towards it, I am fairly sure decent opps will play the Ace of 
's you did squeeze though. But not the kind of squeeze you probably want 
a declarer squeeze. But opps do sometimes make mistakes and we all get lucky sometimes 
is, Kokish.
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