Tournament Focus: Autumn 2012

Tournament Play

by Julian Pottage

Please look at the play question below and give your answer. Assume teams (IMPs) or rubber scoring.

There are three categories in our competition: (i) up to and including Master; (ii) up to and including Regional Master; (iii) higher ranking.

	J 10 Q 2 10 9 8 2 A Q 10 7 5
	A Q 9 8 7 5 3 2 A 7 A K 5

You reach 6 with no opposing bidding.

West leads the jack of hearts, covered all around.

How do you plan to play the club suit?

Winners will receive yet more exciting bridge books from the EBU shop!

Answer to Tournament Focus IX Play Quiz

Question master Julian Pottage gives his view of the best line of play in our latest competition and awards prizes in three categories (see the previous issue and Quiz)

	A 10 4 2 4 2 Q 8 3 A K Q 2
8 7 K J 9 8 3 J 7 10 7 5 3		6 5 3 10 K 10 8 5 4 2 9 8 6
	K Q J 9 A Q 7 6 5 A 6 J 4

You play in 6.
West leads the eight of spades.

You can count ten top tricks: four spades, four clubs and two red aces. Two heart ruffs will bring the total up to twelve. Since you may need to ruff the hearts high, you should win the first trick in hand.

For two reasons you should forget about the heart finesse. For one, crossing to dummy with a club would block the suit; for a second, hearts might be 5-1. You should simply cash the A and give up a heart. You will then be able to use a trump, the A and J as entries for ruffing two hearts and returning to hand to finish drawing trumps.

Congratulations to James Lawrence, Henry Lockwood and Steve Dannell, who all win a prize.

Entries to this email please and they need to arrive by 29 November 2012. In the email header, please state the category you wish to enter and your postal address. Julian Pottage will judge the entries and the first drawn answer in each category that he judges as correct will win a prize.