29.01.13 Board 5

The law of total tricks

This is from the cross imps session last Tuesday,

If you don't use this law much maybe this hand will persuade you of it's importance.

The law tells you that normally both sides can make a total number of tricks which add up to the total number of cards in their best suits . So here it's a total of 21 tricks based on spades and clubs. Its not exact but always a good guide.  So here north south should compete to at least 5 spades and east west to at least 4 clubs.  But east west are green so they should be the most aggressive especially east when partner bids clubs.

At our table the bidding went 2 spades pass 4 spades 5 clubs pass pass 5 spades passed out.

North south have bid to their  "level of fit" based on their number of trumps. East west should know this given the vulnerability. They should not allow north south to play  there. East west have a known fit and should bid 6 clubs probably passed out and making. Allowing opponents to play at their level of fit is usually bad.  Here if 5 spades makes they go off 2 in 6 clubs. If 5 spades goes down 2 then 6 clubs should make. So LTT takes any guessing away.


Hand 5 date: 29. 01 13                          

                          North
                         ♠ K Q J 10 7 2
                         ♥ J 10 7
                         ♦ 6 3
                         ♣ 7 4


West                                                  East
♠ 9 5.                                               ♠ -
♥ Q.                                                 ♥ A 8 6 2
♦ A K 8 5                                         ♦ Q 9 7 4 2
♣ K Q J 10 8 2                                  ♣ 9 6 5 3



                              South
                             ♠ A 8 6 4 3
                             ♥ K 9 5 4 3
                             ♦ J  10
                             ♣ A


Dealer:      North
Vul:            NS

12.02.13 Board 24

You have done well to reach 6NT by South on this board.
West leads the KS and you plan the hand before touching the dummy.

rth ♠ A 7 5 4 ♥ J 7 ♦ K Q 10 7 6 ♣ A Q
D NV West ♠ K Q J 6 3 ♥ 10 9 4 3 ♦ 9 5 ♣ 9 4	Board24	NV East ♠ 9 2 ♥ Q 8 6 ♦ J 8 4 3 ♣ 7 5 3 2
	NV South ♠ 10 8 ♥ A K 5 2 ♦ A 2 ♣ K J 10 8 6	16 3 6 15

You see that you have 11 top tricks, and, if the JD drops, you can make all 13.
But you realise that most pairs will not have reached 6NT, so you must maximise your chances of making the contract.
You have potential threats in three suits, so you prepare for a squeeze by ducking the opening lead. This is the key play to make your contract. It is known as "rectifying the count".

You win the spade continuation, cash the Ace and Queen of clubs, cross to hand with AD, and cash the clubs.

This is the position before the last club is led:

N: ♠ 7  ♥ J  ♦ K Q 10 7       E: ♥ Q 8 6  ♦ J 8 4        S: ♥ A K 5 2   ♦ 2  ♣  6      W: ♠ J   ♥ 10 9 4 3  ♦ 9 

On your last club, West discards a heart, you throw a diamond from dummy, and East must discard a heart in order to keep his diamond guard.

You then cross to the KD and cash QD.
Now West has a problem. He must keep JS, so he discards another heart. 

You return to hand with a heart, and make the last three tricks with AK5 of hearts.

Well played!

Note: If you win the opening lead, East will be able to keep his hearts and the squeeze will not work.