BridgeMatters

This blog provides supplementary thoughts and ideas to the www.bridgematters.com site. If you haven't seen the main site, there is a lot there including the Martel and Rodwell interviews, photos, and articles. This blog is focused on advancing bridge theory by discussing the application of new ideas. All original content is copyright 2009 Glen Ashton.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

In the USA-Poland 3rd quarter, Meckstroth lost 17 IMPs on this slam here:


.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

In 6 hearts, West led the spade 5 (in Poland, it is very common to lead low from xx - they call it 2/4, which means lead either 4th best or 2nd best, low from doubleton being 2nd best). Meckstroth played low from dummy, East falsecarded with the spade queen (hiding the jack) and declarer won ace. Meckstroth cashed the heart king, then played the diamond nine to the jack and king. East returned the heart eight, won by the ten, and now Meckstroth unblocked diamonds by cashing the diamond queen - except it didn't cash - East ruffed it and that was 17 IMPs to Poland. I expect this hand to make the newspapers, as most readers would have played the diamond queen to start diamonds, not the nine to the jack (and some readers would develop reasons why they would start diamonds by nine to the ace dropping the singleton king) - thus it is a case where declarer may have got too fancy, or at least too clever for this layout. In the other room a club lead into the AQ left declarer in excellent shape and their slam rolled in, putting Poland comfortably ahead 106-71.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home