presents  Professor IMP's WeeklyMaster Class  #20    To Prof. IMP Index
Prof IMP
-		 'A Smooth Diamond Duck'
Professor IMP's eye had fallen on a deal  in which one of his students went down in a vulnerable game that he should have made. The student thought he had played it correctly, but he did wonder if he had overlooked something. The deal occured in this year's 'Meesterklasse viertallen' (the premier bridge league competition in The Netherlands).

Holding  K J 8 7 6 3  7 5  J 9  J 5 3, the student, sitting South, heard this auction (W/Both):

West    North    East    South
                                    Student
Pass     1      4     Pass
Pass     Dbl       Pass    ?

South, of course, bid 4, which was followed by three Passes. West led the 6 and the dummy came into view:
 

-
W/both  A 10 2
A 8
K 7 4 3
A K 9 4
 
e K J 8 7 6 3
7 5
J 9
J 5 3
 		 -
WEST----
Pass
Pass
Pass
 
 

-

 NORTH -
1
Double
Pass		 EAST----
4
Pass
Pass		 SOUTH
Pass
4
 
 

 
-
The student won the heart Ace, played a spade to the King and a spade to the Ten; the correct play in view of East's jump to 4. East discarded the K and declarer next cashed the A.

At this point declarer had the choice to develop a fourth-round club winner for a diamond discard, or a third-round diamond winner for a club discard. The latter looked a little safer and South therefore called for the 3. East followed low and declarer put his money on the nine. After winning the ten, West fired back a club. Declarer went up with the Ace and played another diamond. East took the Queen, cashed a high heart and continued with another heart, South ruffing in this position, as West discarded a diamond:
 

-
- -
-
K 7
K 9
-
----
e J 8
-
-
J 5
 		 -

Declarer now cashed his  last trump, on which West discarded yet another diamond, and East a heart. The student hoped that East's orginal club holding was Queen-doubleton and he therefore played a club to the King. Wrong:
 

-
W/both A 10 2
A 8
K 7 4 3
A K 9 4
Q 9 5
6 3
10 6 5 2
Q 8 6 2
4
K Q J 10 9 4 2
A Q 8
10 7
e K J 8 7 6 3
7 5
J 9
J 5 3
 		 -
-
'Did I overlook something?,'  the student asked Professor IMP.
'I am afraid so,' the professor replied. 'Up to a point you played the hand properly. You correctly opted to go after the diamonds. However, you would have increased your chances substantially if you had played a diamond from dummy before cashing the A! That way, you would have had an extra entry in case the A were held third in either defensive hand, as in this case.'
'I see, nice defence, nevertheless,' the student remarked, 'the smooth diamond duck by East and the club switch by West.'
'You think so? Rather elementary, young man,' Professor IMP concluded the discussion.
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