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Andrew finds the Queen
Andrew receives his OBE at Buckingham Palace from her majesty the Queen
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If you remember_just one_thing
In this series Andrew, features one improtant point per Article. Bit by bit the reader will improve their game.
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Childrens Bridge
Andrew:
An Icelandic Saga
I had not been to the Reykjavik Bridge Festival for over a decade. As I sat opposite the legendary, charming and incredibly talented Zia Mahmood, against the delightful and very competent Nordic opponents, with delicious exotic sushi to look forward to, I wondered why not.
Zia and I were pleased to win the pairs and we enjoyed some lucky moments. Here (from the Teams) was one of our classic rose-tinted grand slams (temperamentally both of us prefer to go down in a non making grand slam than to miss a making one: a dangerous combination for a partnership).
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South Deals None Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♠ | |||
| Pass | 2 N1 | Pass | 3 N2 |
| Pass | 4 N3 | Pass | 5 ♣4 |
| Pass | 7 ♠5 | Pass | Pass |
| Pass |
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You are lucky to receive the ♥ J opening lead - where the standard opening lead v a grand slam of a trump (on grounds of safety) would have given you a tougher ride. You win ♥ Q, cash ♠ K......
....And go down (unless you guess to take the ruffing finesse in clubs). For you are no longer able to ruff two clubs in hand without West being able to overruff.
The technical line - catering to East having a singleton ♠ 10 is to start spades by leading to the ace. When East's ♠ 10 appears, stop playing spades , cash ♣ AK, ruff a club with ♠J, cash ♥A (throwing a diamond) and cash ♦ A, ruff a red card, ruff a fourth club with ♠ K, cross to ♠ Q9 drawing West's trumps and enjoy the fifth club. Grand slam made.
If two small spades had appeared on the first round, draw a second trump (in hand). If both follow, you are home (playing ♣ AK) unless East has a singleton club
If West discards on the second spade cash ♣ AK and ruff two clubs in hand (overruffing East). You are less well placed if West has three spades and might as well draw his last trump, then cash the ♣ AK and guess whether or not to take the ruffing finesse.
On the indicated opening trump lead, rise with the ace (felling the ten). Best is now the combination line of ♣ AK then, if no queen appears (if it does problems solved), take the heart finesse (low to the queen). You'll also need some good news in spades/clubs.
