Duplicate Technique

Dealer: South
E-W vulnerable

North

K Q 8 2

A 8 6

K J 9

J 10 4

West

6 5 3

J 9 4 2

10 6 3 2

K 6

East

Q 10 7 5

Q 8 7

A 9 8 7 2

South

A J 10 9 4

K 3

A 5 4

Q 5 3

South	West	North	East
1�	Pass	2 NT	Pass
3�	Pass	4�	All Pass

Opening Lead:� K !

Many of my readers enjoy duplicate competition. Matchpoint duplicate is challenging; the strategies differ from rubber or party bridge.To improve their scores, duplicate players can try “Winning Duplicate Tactics” by David Bird, or “Matchpoints” by Kit Woolsey, a classic book recently updated. In today’s deal from “Matchpoints,” West leads the king of clubs against four spades. East wins the next club and gives West a club ruff, and West exits with a trump.

REMARKABLE
West’s remarkable lead has put South behind the eight ball. Other Wests will lead something else, and South can draw trumps and make an overtrick if a diamond finesse with the jack wins.

To get back to even, South must lead the jack of diamonds for a backward finesse. If East covers, South wins and returns a diamond to the nine. If West had the queen, South would go down, but he was slated for a matchpoint zero anyway.

For a book or product for your favorite partner’s holiday gift, see baronbarclay.com.

DAILY QUESTION�

You hold:
7
Q 10 7 5
Q 8 7
A 9 8 7 2
. Your partner opens one heart. The next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER�
This is my idea of a reasonable limit raise to three hearts: four-card trump support and good distribution but limited high-card strength. If partner has a good-looking minimum such as A J 5, A K 9 6 4, 5 2, Q 10 5, he will go on to game. The old-fashioned style of playing an immediate double-raise as forcing made this hand impossible to describe.