| S/EW | ♠ | K J 10 3
| | | | ♥ | A 10 3 | | ♦ | 9 3 | | ♣ | Q 10 9 7 | | ♠ | 8 2 |  | | | | ♥ | Q J 5 | | | | ♦ | K 10 8 7 2 | | | | ♣ | A 3 2 | | |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| — | — | — | 1NT | pass
| 2♣ | pass | 2♦ | | pass | 3NT | pass | pass | | pass | | | |
IMP-scoring (team match), so West will do his utmost to defeat the contract. Overtricks (or extra undertricks) are relatively unimportant.
West leads the ♦2. East wins with the ♦A and continues with the ♦J, South following suit with the ♦4 and the ♦5. Since dummy's ♦9 now disappears, West's ♦1087 become equals. South still has the ♦Q of course. If West now plays a small diamond, he will succeed if East has another diamond (very well possible, since from originally ♦AJx he will return the middle card, the ♦J). EW will thus score five diamond tricks and the ♣A: down two. But what if East started with the bare ♦AJ? How should West defend? |
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Solution
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| N/EW | ♠ | A K 5 | | | | ♥ | 7 3 2 | | ♦ | A 5 4 | | ♣ | K 9 8 3 | | | |  | ♠ | 7 6 3 | | | | ♥ | A K 10 6 5 | | | | ♦ | J 3 2
| | | | ♣ | Q 5 |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| — | 1♣ | 1♥ | 3NT | | pass | pass | pass | |
West leads the ♥9. How should East defend? This concerns IMP play (team match). So East will do his utmost to defeat the contract. Overtricks and extra down tricks are relatively unimportant. |
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Solution
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| N/- | ♠ | J 7 5 | | | | ♥ | K J 6 2 | | ♦ | A J | | ♣ | Q J 9 4 | | ♠ | 10 2 |  | | | | ♥ | A 9 8 4 | | | | ♦ | 10 7 6 3 | | | | ♣ | K 6 3 | | | | | | | |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| - | 1♣ | pass | 1♠ | | pass | 1NT | pass | 3♦ | | pass | 4♠ | pass | pass | | pass | | | |
Butler, meaning IMP scoring. West enquires after the meaning of the bidding and is informed south has shown a game forcing hand with 5-5 in spades and diamonds. West has a difficult lead and eventually tries the unbid suit, since this is more often right than wrong. So ♥A hits the table, on which east plays ♥7 and south ♥3. How should west continue? |
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Solution
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