IMPs AND MAKING YOUR GAMES PLUS A SLAM

Hand #25 demonstrated the importance of just focusing on making your game when playing IMPs (Swiss Teams). You held: ♠964 ♥AQ10975 ♦4 ♣QJ3. Partner opened 1♦ and RHO doubled for takeout. You bid 1♥; LHO passed. Partner bid 1♠ and RHO now passed. With your 7-loser hand, you jumped to 3♥—showing invitational values. [You are not forcing to game with your 7 losers because this could easily be a misfit hand with you having a singleton in partner's opening suit and the possibility of RHO having four hearts.] Partner raised to game, upgrading her hand because she had three quick tricks and felt that you would be well-positioned in terms of hearts and clubs and she MIGHT be well positioned in diamonds over the West hand.

The lead was the ♣2 and you are looking at:

♠AK85 ♥63 ♦AQ98 ♣975

♠964 ♥AQ10975 ♦4 ♣QJ3

You have two sure club losers, and will need to finesse for BOTH heart honors to be on your right with the Take-out Doubler. However, if hearts break 4-1, which is quite likely on this auction, you will lose a heart trick as well. So, you have to do something about your losing spade. You will have to risk the diamond finesse even though you only have a singleton. (Even if the diamond finesse loses, your slow spade loser can go on the ♦A, so this is really a “no risk” play) If the diamond finesse loses, you'll have to hope for 3-2 hearts with the ♥KJx on your right.

RHO false-cards with the ♣A and returns a low club. When your ♣Q wins, you know that East (RHO) started with the ♣AKx(x), despite the false card. At trick two, you should try a diamond to the ♦Q. When that wins, play a heart from Dummy, putting in the ♥9. RHO follows with the ♥2, but LHO plays the ♥8, making the 4-1 break more likely. Return to the ♠K and play another heart. RHO plays the ♥4 and your ♥10 wins. Cash the ♥A. Enter Dummy with the ♠A and discard a spade loser on Dummy's the ♦A. You lose only two club tricks and one heart trick, and score up your game.

Hand #6 was interesting in terms of slam bidding. East opened the 3-loser hand 2♣: ♠AK863 ♥AKJ54 ♦A4 ♣A—just your everyday 23 HCP with two great suits. Partner bid 2♦ (waiting). 2♠ by opener. 3♣—second negative by responder which is doubled by North for the lead. 3♥ by opener—even with your “three loser” hand, if partner does not have a fit for EITHER of your suits, game may not be feasible. Partner raises you to 4♥, promising four hearts.

How lucky do you feel? If partner has as little as ♥Qxxx (or five baby hearts), 6♥ should be assured because partner is known to have two or fewer spades, so you can ruff your spade losers in Dummy. You bid 6♥. The ♣J is led and Dummy produces a beauty:

♠7 ♥Q10862 ♦1098 ♣8653

♠AK863 ♥AKJ54 ♦A4 ♣A

You win the club and play one top spade and ruff a spade. Then pull two rounds of hearts, ending in your hand and ruff a third round of spades. Return to your hand with the ♦A. Cash the ♠K, discarding a diamond loser from Dummy. Your good fifth spade allows you to discard Dummy's last diamond. You ruff your low diamond on Dummy and claim 13 tricks!