One for the Knipper

One for the Knipper

Here’s a hand from Thursday 6/5 in West Tisbury. South deals, both sides vulnerable (Hands rotated).

                                           ♠ A82
                                           ♥ 7653
                                           ♦ AKT84
                                           ♣ 3
                                              N
              ♠ JT94                                         ♠ KQ75
              ♥ 2                                              ♥ QJ
              ♦ Q932             W                  E   ♦ J65
              ♣ QJ72                                       ♣ K965
                                              S
                                         ♠ 63
                                         ♥ AKT984
                                         ♦  7
                                         ♣ AT84 

South      West      North     East
  1♥         Pass         2♦        Pass
  2♥         Pass         4♥        all pass

Opening lead: ♠J

            This hand was played five times, and all five times the contract was 4♥. South opens with 11 HCP plus distribution. North bids 2♦ with 11 HCP plus a singleton spade and jumps to 4♥ when South makes a minimum-hand rebid. Here’s an oddity: with only 22 HCP, missing two kings and all the queens and jacks, four Souths made six and Hugh Knipmeyer made seven.

            If there are no defense errors, can you take 13 tricks?

            Knip took the ♠A, cashed the ♦A and ruffed a diamond. He drew trumps in two rounds, cashed the ♣A, ruffed a club on the board, and ruffed another diamond in his hand. Then he ruffed another club on the board. His last two losers (a club and a spade) went on the ♦K and ♦10. Well done!

            As long as the diamonds split 4-3 and trumps were not 3-0, Knip’s line of play was absolutely foolproof. After the hand, Knip remarked that lots of players don’t think of trying to set up the fifth card in a 5-1 holding.

            Knip owns more master points than any of the rest of us year-rounders. Nancy and I took a lesson from the old master last night. We were East-West and got a zero on this hand.

Here are the results from 6/5. 5.5 tables in play. 1.Claus Buchthal & Gail Farrish. 2. Barbara Besse & Hugh Knipmeyer. 3. Dan & Nancy Cabot. 4. Millie Briggs & Simi Denhart