Hand of the Month
April 2003
J1095
A64
975
AJ4
6432
-
Q853
KJ2
KQJ8
A106432
8
7632
AKQ87
1097
-
KQ1095
The contract is 7 spades by South
Opening lead King of Diamonds
You trump the opening lead and play the Ace of Spades. East discards a diamond.
This isn't too tough a hand for someone who counts! South has 6 tricks (one heart and 5 clubs) outside trumps. So, he needs 7 spade tricks. There is only one way to do this: four winners and three ruffs in hand.
After ruffing the King of Diamonds lead and cashing the Ace of Spades, getting the bad news, you should play a club to dummy, ruff a diamond with the spade Queen, play a heart to dummy's ace, ruff the last diamond with the spade King, lead the spade 8 to dummy's 9, draw trumps and claim. You play a beautiful dummy reversal!
Never stop counting - its what separates the experts from the rest.