Fundamentals of playing a suit contract

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Here is a hand I played at the club recently. I am in 3 spades on the bidding shown. I messed up the fundamentals. Look at my problem and see if you can do better. 

What would be your plan? (Scroll down to see the plan I should have come up with.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visualizing the opponents’ hands: It looks like the king of hearts is top of a doubleton (North likely started with 7 hearts). Also, East is likely to be short in diamonds. Bottom line is that you may be able to develop a crossruff without either opponent being able to overruff. You need to cash the outside suit (clubs) before starting the crossruff. Also, you need to lead a diamond to void your hand.

 

Plan:

  1. Ruff the opening lead in dummy.
  2. Low club to your king.
  3. Low diamond toward dummy (maybe you will get lucky if West has the ace and does not play it). Assume West wins the ace and returns a trump (best defense).
  4. You win West’s trump lead in hand.
  5. Club to dummy’s ace, hoping it survives.
  6. Cash diamond king, discarding heart from hand.
  7. Ruff a diamond.
  8. Ruff a heart.
  9. Heart ruff.

10. Diamond ruff.

11. Ace of spades for your 10th trick.

 

Wasn’t that easy! (I pulled trumps prematurely)

 

 

 

 

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