Dorothy Parker said, "Money cannot buy health, but I'd settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair."
Diamonds have facets and this deal has them too. First, look only at the North hand. Your partner opens one no-trump, showing 15-17 points in the modern style, and your right-hand opponent inconsiderately overcalls two hearts. What would you do?
Once you have decided, move into South's chair. You are in three no-trump. West leads the heart seven and East puts up the queen. How would you plan the play?
What you bid with that North hand depends on your partnership's agreements. If you play Lebensohl, you would jump to three no-trump, which shows the values for game, but denies both four spades and a heart stopper. Alternatively, you would respond three diamonds, if that would be forcing in your methods. Or you would cue-bid three hearts, if that would not be cue-bid Stayman, promising spades. Or you would jump to three no-trump, hoping for the best.
You have seven top tricks: three spades, one heart and three diamonds. If the diamond suit is worth five tricks, that will give you nine in all.
Therefore, since you seem to have nine winners ready to cash, you should win trick one. (Note that if you duck it, East will surely shift to the club jack, giving the defense the first five tricks.)
After that, be careful with your diamond facets — I mean, spots. You must play your six, eight and nine under dummy's ace, king and queen, so that dummy's four can squash your three and leave you in the dummy to cash the lowly diamond two.
Diamonds have facets and this deal has them too. First, look only at the North hand. Your partner opens one no-trump, showing 15-17 points in the modern style, and your right-hand opponent inconsiderately overcalls two hearts. What would you do?
Once you have decided, move into South's chair. You are in three no-trump. West leads the heart seven and East puts up the queen. How would you plan the play?
What you bid with that North hand depends on your partnership's agreements. If you play Lebensohl, you would jump to three no-trump, which shows the values for game, but denies both four spades and a heart stopper. Alternatively, you would respond three diamonds, if that would be forcing in your methods. Or you would cue-bid three hearts, if that would not be cue-bid Stayman, promising spades. Or you would jump to three no-trump, hoping for the best.
You have seven top tricks: three spades, one heart and three diamonds. If the diamond suit is worth five tricks, that will give you nine in all.
Therefore, since you seem to have nine winners ready to cash, you should win trick one. (Note that if you duck it, East will surely shift to the club jack, giving the defense the first five tricks.)
After that, be careful with your diamond facets — I mean, spots. You must play your six, eight and nine under dummy's ace, king and queen, so that dummy's four can squash your three and leave you in the dummy to cash the lowly diamond two.