Things are starting to slow down at the Club right now, an indicator being that the only two e-mails last week were announcing the ACBL AGM on the 23rd and Richard Gray collecting our bar tabs. So straight to the hand!

This week’s hand is one where I am going to show you all four hands and ask you to plan the play, just to show you what it is you are trying to achieve and what it is you are trying to avoid.

Dealer South E/W Vulnerable

????????????????????????????????? K5

? 543

• 5432

? AQ52

? 7642 ? Q10983

? AQ9 ? 10872

• KQJ108 • 976

? K ? 4

? AJ

? KJ6

• A

J1098763

The hand came up on Bridge Base recently.

I was South and opened 2 Clubs (Precision 11-15 HCP with clubs), West bid 2 diamonds, partner bid three clubs and East bid 3 Diamonds.

I fancied my shape and jumped to 5 Clubs, partly to make and partly to keep them out of any major suit fit they might (must?) have!

It went all pass and West led the diamond king … the contract looked nice and after I won the diamond and played the club jack the contract looked even better when the King appeared!

Now, as long as East had one of the heart honours I am making. But can I do better if he doesn’t? I think so!

Win the Ace, ruff a diamond, club to the queen ruff another diamond, three of clubs to the 5 and ruff the last diamond, cash the Ace and King of Spades and you come down to this:

?????????????????????????????????

? 543

•

? 2

? 7 ? Q10

? AQ9 ? 108

• •

? ?

?

? KJ6

•

10

Now play a low heart to the jack and West is dead … he must either return a heart or give you a ruff and discard and the hand makes.

The play is called an elimination because it is just that … you eliminated the diamonds by ruffing them out, eliminated the spades by cashing them and then gave the opponents the lead leaving them with no exit cards.

Study it well, elimination plays present themselves often, especially when you have a lot of trumps in each hand.