Extra Chance

I have found a good dummy play problem during Poncol Challenge in Jakarta last Friday.

You open with 1NT (15-17), and after stayman, you find the spade fit. After a 4D splinter, you bid 4H (cue) and you arrive in 6S.

You Partner 1NT 2C

2S 4D(splinter)

4H 4NT

5D 6S

all pass

West start with trump and your first problem is solved, but there is still a problem.

Dealer	South
Vurn	US
	North
	♠ A975
	♥ KJ1076
	♦ 10
	♣ A87
	South
	♠ KJ102
	♥ A42
	♦ AJ92
	♣Q10

On west spade, you play ♠7 from dummy and win. How do you continue? Many declarer fail to land the contract because they missguess the queen heart.

If the spades are 3-2 and you find the Queen after west lead it. Don't just depend your contract on successfull finesse of heart queen. Your chance is only 50% without any clue at all. As a declarer you need to find extra chance.

So, what's is the best plan?

After winning the spade in dummy, you can increase you chance by playing club from dummy. If East plays small, you can insert the ten. It is very difficult for East to play small if he has the King. He doesn't know that you have the ten.

If you have a club trik, then you can discard your heart on the Ace of club, and ruff the heart. You succeed even if heart breaks 4-1 and with four cards in East.

Here is the complete deal.

Dealer	South
Vurn	All
	North
	♠ A975
	♥ KJ1076
	♦ 10
	♣ A87
West		East
♠864		♠ Q3
♥ 53		♥ Q98
♦ Kxxx		♦ Q763
♣K9xx		♣J542
	South
	♠ KJ102
	♥ A42
	♦ AJ92
	♣Q10