Andrew’s TIP: TWO OUTSIDE ACES AND A TOP HONOUR IN THE SUIT THAT PARTNER HAS PREEMPTED EQUALS NINE TRICKS. CONSIDER BIDDING THREE NOTRUMPS.

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Our fourth featured deal of last summer’s match between the Parliamentarians and the British Ladies is a missed opportunity in the bidding for the North-South pairs. But it gave East-West – the defence – a chance to shine.

West started with K and continued with  Q. What should he play at trick three? Assuming his partner has a singleton(but not A), West can deduce his partner must have Q to open the bidding, and fives to choose 1(opening the higher ranking of equal length suits). This means that the defence have atrick to set up, but not a trick (declarer holding a singleton).
West for both teams switched unerringly to 2. Unless he does so, declarer can establish a fourth round winner in dummy to discard his  loser. Declarer played 9 from dummy on 2, but East rose with Q and promptly cashed A to defeat the contract.
The missed opportunity was for North-South to bid to the easy 3 NT contract. The result of the deal – 4 minus 1 – was the same in both rooms, and the Ladies retained a slender lead. Next week we conclude our report.

ANDREW’S TIP: Two outside aces and a top honour in the suit that partner has preempted equals nine tricks. Consider bidding Three Notrumps.