The Duck That Cooked Declarer

Larry Dawson (Woofie) tells about his partner, Jogs, who found a brilliant duck.

North  A K J 10 5 3  5 2  10 3  K 10 3
West  8 4  8 7 4  9 8 6 5 4  A Q 7	East  Q 7 2  Q 10 3  A J 7  9 6 4 2
South  9 6  A K J 9 6  K Q 2  J 8 5

West	North	East	South
—	—	—	1
pass	1	pass	1NT
pass	3NT	all pass

After winning the diamond opening lead with the king, declarer led the 9 and passed it. Jogs ducked! Now declarer could take six spade tricks by cashing, but of course he didn’t if a finesse works once it should work twice. So declarer took another spade finesse, but this one didn’t work! Jogs cashed his A and cleared the suit. Now declarer was stuck the only way he could get to the good spades was to go after clubs. Woofie of course went up with his ace and cashed two diamonds to set the contract and gain 8.90 IMPs.

Woofie and Jogs were the only pair to set 3NT.

Andy Anderson (Captain) sluffed his A to set up any entry to dummy, but the defense let him make his notrump game a different way.

North  J 8 7 4 2  5  A 7 6 3  Q 10 4
West  Q 6 3  Q 8 3  Q J  K J 8 7 2	East  10 9 5  K J 10  10 8 4 2  9 5 3
South  A K  A 9 7 6 4 2  K 9 5  A 6

West	North	East	South
—	pass	pass	1
pass	1	pass	3NT
pass	pass	pass

Declarer won the 7 opening lead with dummy’s 10 and went after spades, cashing the ace and king. He crossed to dummy with the A and led the J. When East played the 10, Captain knew the suit was breaking, so he discarded his A, leaving the Q in dummy as a likely entry.

West did not like his options. The idea of leading his other diamond honor didn’t seem right, and clubs were out of the question. So he tried hearts, leading the 3 to partner’s king, ducked. Declarer ducked the J as well, but when East tried a third round, Captain won and ignored the good spades. Now he had his game with four hearts, two spades, two diamonds and a club.

As usual we have a Tuna hand too.

North  —  A 10 9 8 4  J 9 8  A K 10 6 4
West  Q J 3  K Q 6 2  A K 3 2  7 5	East  9 8 6 4  J 7  Q 10 7 6 5 4  Q
South  A K 10 7 5 2  5 3  —  J 9 8 3 2

West	North	East	South
—	—	pass	2
2NT	pass	pass	3
pass	6	pass	pass
double	redouble	all

After passing on his first turn over West’s 2NT overcall, Tuna, North, was totally turned on by South’s 3 bid. He not only leaped to the club slam, he redoubled when West doubled. There was nothing to the play. South ruffed the A opening lead and set up spades easily for 13 tricks — plus 1830 and 16.33 IMPs.