The hunt is on for number nine
By Phillip Alder | China Daily | Updated: 2014-08-30 07:23
Jon Bon Jovi said, "Success is falling nine times and getting up 10."
Success in three no-trump is getting up nine tricks and falling four times. How should South plan to do that in this deal after West leads the spade king?
South starts with eight top tricks: one spade, two hearts, four diamonds and one club. The extra winner might come from hearts or clubs. In isolation, in hearts, one would cash dummy's king, then take a finesse; or, in clubs, take two finesses. The snag is that all of those finesses are into the West hand, the defender who presumably has long and strong spades (to be leading declarer's known four-card suit). Is there anything better?
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