Play Hard, Play Well!
–Robert S. Todd

In the District 9 GNT Flight B Finals in Vero Beach, FL I was the captain of a six person team.  In the first match we were up by a slim +5 IMPs at the half (12 boards.)  I decided to sit myself out then and my teammates came through with a blistering +62 IMPs in the second half (12 more boards.)  I was very impressed and as I looked through the results I saw four double digit gains on hands declared by one of my teammates.  Exalting him for his great play (and my other teammates for their defense), I had to ask about these hands.  Here is one of these hands...

Dealer: North                           ♠ xxxx

All Vul.                                    ♥ Q9xxx

IMPs                                        ♦ xxxx

♣ --

 
 
            ♠ KQxx

                                                ♥ Kx

♦ AKx

♣ KQxx

South at both tables opened 2N and both Norths pushed to 4S♠ (played from the South side.) West led H♥10. 
Plan your play!

Things don’t look good, but the defense helped out by leading a H♥ and playing the H♥A at trick 1.
1:  H♥ x x A x             (-1) 

East then shifted to a S♠, which West won with the Ace, and then played another S♠.
2:  S♠ x K A x (-2)
3:  S♠ J x x Q               (+1)

 
This leaves                                ♠ xx

                                                ♥ Q9xx

                                                ♦ xxxx

♣ --

♠ xx

                                                ♥ K

♦ AKx

♣ KQxx

 
In order to get to ten tricks, it looks best to try to bring in the S♥ suit.
4:  H♥ K x x x              (+2)
5:  C♣K C♣A S♠x C♣x          (+3)
6:  H♥Q H♥x D♦x H♥x            (+4)

With H♥ 3-3, things look good.   Keep cashing hearts until opponent ruffs and return to dummy with a club ruff to cash the final H♥ winners.
10 Tricks:  3H♥, 2D♦, 2C♣ ruffs, 3S♠ tricks
3 Losers: 2S♠, H♥A

 The Complete Deal:

                                    ♠ 8xxx

                                    ♥ Q9xxx

                                    ♦ 8xxx

♣ --

♠ AJ10                                                             ♠ xx

♥ 10xx                                                             ♥ AJx

♦  Jxx                                                               ♦ Qxx

♣ Axxx                                                            ♣ xxxxx

♠ KQxx

                                    ♥ Kx

♦ AKx
           
            ♣ KQxx

 
We went on to have a great weekend and win the GNT Flight B Finals.  We will be proud to represent District 9 at the Summer NABC in Nashville.   

Well done, Teammates!
Ken Andino, Theri Andino, Theo Lichtenstein, Bob Soni, and Eric Tilton