Hand 2

A J 9 8 5 4 Q 8 6 3 Q 9 5 Q 3 2

K 7 6 2 J 5 2 J 6 4 A 9 8 7 6 5

Q 3 A K 9 7 4 A K 8 7 3 2 K J 4

LHO

RHO

PLR

This hand is a text book hand for a Clumond by PLR. The long, flexible suits (containing both sets of terminals, Aces, Kings, as well as 4's, 3's and 2's)  that are adjacent affords a "free range" of bids between the two suits. In this case being hearts and spades the free range is 3 to 6.

LHO     RHO     PLR 0      -----     -----    spades 1     CA        C7         CQ 2      S5        S4          S3 3      HQ      H5         H9 4      D2       DA         DJ 5      H6       HJ         HA 6      DQ       D9         DK

Notes 0.  (bidding) PLR's long flexible hearts and spades allows a free range of bids of 3 to 6. ( spade + spade + spade = 3,  spade + spade + heart = 4,  spade + heart + heart = 5,  heart + heart + heart = 6 ). The only thing to resolve is as to how many tricks to be taken in the side suits. It is probable the the defence will commence on the clubs, so that the fate of the CQ will be known early and without the need to gain the initiative. The diamond suit resolution may need some work. 1.    CA shows 6 or 8 clubs. PLR drops CQ favouring to duck tricks as well as resolving the uncertainty of the club suit. 2.     The switch to a low spade confirms the 6 card club holding and limits the other side suit lengths to 4. This thus reduces the hand shape for LHO to just 6 clubs, 3 or 4 hearts, 3 ( possibly 2, but inlikely) spades, and 3 or 4 diamonds. PLR's duck of the spade trick is wise as a passive game is called for here. 3.     HQ lead finally clarifies the holding as 6 x 4 x 3 x 3, 5.      RHO, knowing PLR's distribution completely, can envisage the free range in hearts and spades. Best to attack the hearts. 8.      Onward with the attack on hearts. If LHO gains a lead hearts may be played once more to reduce as far as possible the choices in the free range. PLR takes this 10.     Last heart played. An interesting play for LHO would have been to ruff the heart and return a diamond for LHO to either discard, ruff, or underruff (playing the S9 under the supposed SA or SK), or overruff (playing the higher spade on PLR's low one if that is the case).

J 9 8 5 4 8 3 Q 9 3

K 6 2 2 J 6 8 7 6 5

3 K 7 4 A K 8 7 2 4

LHO

RHO

PLR

LHO     RHO     PLR 7      D3        D8        D4 8      H3        H2        HK 9      SQ        SJ         S7 10     H8       D7         H7 11     C4       C6         C3 12     S9       D6         SA 13     C5       S6          S2 14     successful clumond

12.      Dropping the S9 hoping that partner has the S2. 13.      The ruff of the heart at trick 10 might have spoiled this happy ending for PLR on another hand but even if this was the play, PLR could still prevail on this occasion. Post Mortem The heart attack by the defence was really a good shot. It forced declarer to have to duck to the surplus of the heart suit (1) supplimented in spades (2) for a bid of 4.  Otherwise, with such a powerful hand, it would have been easier to claim the clumond fron about trick no. 10 (revealing the cards and explaining the intended play) for a tarhet of up to 6.

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