2006 ShenHua Declarer Play Award

Parallel Winner 2: Fu Zhong
From: Open 1/4 Final of The 3rd All-China Games 27th May

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ A K 8 5 ♥ K 8 2 ♦ 6 ♣ K 10 9 4 3
♠ J 9 ♥ A Q 9 ♦ Q J 10 5 ♣ Q 8 5 2		♠ Q 7 4 3 ♥ J 10 6 4 3 ♦ 8 2 ♣ 7 6
	♠ 10 6 2 ♥ 7 5 ♦ A K 9 7 4 3 ♣ A J

At other tables, the heart two was led and it was a standard coup for West to play the queen. For those declarers who dared not duck, their contract was doomed at once. Fu Zhong faced the same difficult situation. Should he duck the first round at the risk of losing five heart tricks immediately, or win with the heart king and depend on four or five fast tricks in clubs?

Knowing that five club tricks was anti-percentage, Fu ducked the heart queen. This was the first and most important decision on the hand, but the contract was not yet home. Holding so many points, West knew his partner could hardly have an entry, thus continuing hearts would be hopeless. He switched to the jack of diamonds.

Fu Zhong realized that he had made the correct decision at the first trick when he saw West’s switch. After winning the second trick with ace of diamonds, Fu played a heart from dummy, establishing the king and cutting the defenders’ lines of communication at the same time. West won the heart ace and played the spade nine. Now Fu read West’s shape: the spade nine was perhaps from a doubleton, he must have three hearts for his plays in that suit and, since he was not afraid to attack diamonds, he should hold at least jack-ten-eight to four or queen-jack-ten to four in that suit. It seemed likely that there were four clubs in the West hand.

Fu Zhong made up his mind on a throw-in.

He played the ace-king of spades, the heart king, and a club to dummy’s ace. He then cashed the diamond king and ran the club jack. Finally a diamond endplayed West. A neat, proficient play!