Problem

The Auction:

* - Truscott 2NT=8+ HCP, 4+ spades

South passed. West started the auction with 1♠. North doubled. East responded with Truscott 2NT (8+ HCP, 4+ spades). Can you guess what the final contract was and how many tricks were taken by the declarer?

Vulnerable: both

Contract: ?

Solution

East/West might have played 4♠. But after North`s takeout double – which promised support to each of the unbid suits – and as East`s response showed East/West have found a fit in spades South boldly bid 4♥.

Quite logically West went on and bid 4♠. But the auction was not over yet. North declared 5♥ and East doubled – this became the final contract.

West led the ♥2.

Despite the fact that North/South had only 20 HCP it seemed like almost there. The declareґs side held two nine-card suits – hearts and clubs. North was void in spades, so the declarer could ruff both his spades and ditch the diamond loser on clubs after hopefully locating the missing ♣Q. And if the trump split would be 2-2… but after West`s lead this couldn`t be taken as an established fact, quite contrary.

South played a small heart from dummy’s hand, East played the ♥9, so the declarer had to play the ♥A to win the first trick (trick 1).

After that the declarer played the ♣A (trick 2) and then led the ♣J. West played a small club, the declarer ducked playing the ♣ 7 from dummy and East ruffed with the ♥J (trick 3). East led a diamond, West sacrificed the ♦Q and dummyВґs ♦A won the trick (trick 4).

Now defense had only heart, so South led the ♥K from dummy, East’s ♥Q dropped, West discarded the ♣Q (trick 5). The declarer took three tricks with dummy`s clubs, discarding his small diamond on the last club (tricks 6, 7, 8)

Now the declarer held three hearts and two spades, while dummy had two hearts and three diamonds. South claimed (tricks 9, 10, 11, 12,13).

East/West had a stiff 4♠ – they would have lost only three tricks, as they missed the ♥A, ♦A and ♣A. If West had started with 2♠ instead of 1♠, North/ South might not have found a match in hearts. Even if North would have doubled after 2♠, East would have swiftly declared 4♠ and South would have faced the situation whether to show his hearts on five level.

North had an ideal hand for doubling 1♠, as he could support all the other suits. Although both hearts and clubs were split 3-1, North/South could have played a small slam in hearts.

Only a diamond lead by West could have taken the contract of 6♥ down – as East had a singleton club, East could have ruffed the second trick of clubs and won another trick with the ♦K.

Par Contract Analysis

The par contract on this deal is 5♠ Dbl -1 by East/West.