Stretching

By Eddie Kantar Eddie Kantar

Courtesy of KantarBridge.com

Both vulnerable, IMPs.

N
North
♠
A86
♥
K10753
♦
86
♣
AJ5
 
S
South
♠
K109
♥
A9
♦
AK42
♣
KQ92
W
West
N
North
E
East
S
South
—
—
—
1♦
Pass
1♥
Pass
2NT
Pass
4NT1
Pass
5♣2
Pass
5NT3
Pass
6NT4
All Pass
 
 
 
(1) A real stretch given that you show only 18-19.
(2) Acceptance, showing four clubs in case partner also has four clubs.
(3) Not forcing, showing a minimum slam try. No kidding.
(4) I’m not letting you off the hook.

Opening lead: ♦Q

In spite of your opening 1♦ bid, West leads your suit. East plays the ♦7. Plan the play.

Solution

With eight top tricks outside of hearts, the suit you must develop, you need to play hearts to your best advantage for four tricks.  The best play with this combination is to lead low from dummy and insert the nine. You score four heart tricks anytime the suit breaks 3-3 or East has Jx, Qx, or QJxx; not a bad parlay.

The full deal:

 
N
North
♠
A86
♥
K10753
♦
68
♣
AJ5
 
W
West
♠
J75
♥
J842
♦
QJ10
♣
864
 
E
East
♠
Q432
♥
Q6
♦
9753
♣
1073
 
S
South
♠
K109
♥
A9
♦
AK42
♣
KQ92
 


THE BOTTOM LINE

After partner makes an invitational raise to 4NT, a new suit by the opener is natural, not some sort of response to a non-existent Blackwood bid.

At notrump, count your sure tricks outside of the suit you must develop so you will know how many tricks you need in your main suit.

With K10xxx facing A9 doubleton the best play for four tricks is to lead low to the nine. Similarly, with  A10xxx facing K9 doubleton the best play for four tricks is to lead low to the nine.