Lhuissier’s Exploit (Le Bridgeur Magazine No. 921)

2017 World Vice-Champion Jérôme Rombaut writes a column in the French magazine “Le Bridgeur” every two months.

In the article below, published in issue 921 of the magazine (May / June 2019), Jérôme gives us a new board analysis from 2019 Memphis NABC.

Your partner doubles 3NT. You overcalled. What do you do next? Be careful, you must get it right.

Here is a nice deal from Memphis NABC. My partner is the young and talented Nicolas Lhuissier and our opponents at the table are internationally renowned players, namely José Damiani and Marcello Dadon.

Game all. Marcello opens 1NT and I am sitting South with this hand: ♠1062 ♥K98542 ♦– ♣A753. I overcall 2♦, which in our system indicates a 6-card major one-suiter, and the auction goes:

S	W	N	E

In theory, the double requires a specific lead from me.

It can’t be my major since without the double I would probably lead that suit.

When in doubt, remember that 3NT doubled usually means that you should lead dummy’s first suit or often the higher-ranking suit if no suit bid, i.e. spades here.

I bravely lead the ♠10 and dummy spreads his cards:

K J 5  Q 10 6  K 10 8  J 6 4 2

10 6 2 K 9 8 5 4 2 –   A 7 3

My partner takes the ♠J with the Queen and counterattacks in hearts.

Declarer plays the Ace and tries his luck in clubs but I play the Ace, cash the ♥K and return spades for three down.

3NT doubled -3 and 800 for us. Notice Nicolas Lhuissier’s great double bid with ♠AQ984 ♥3 ♦97653 ♣98.

Indeed, the only chance to win is probably the spade lead but sometimes it may not be enough to defeat the contract, the highest risk being that opponents can redouble!

Marcello has not yet got over this deal that he nicknamed the “Mississippi deal”.

The full deal

A Q 9 8 3 3 9 7 6 5 3 9 8

K J 5  Q 10 6  K 10 8  J 6 4 2

7 3 A J 7 A Q J 4 2 K Q 10

10 6 2 K 9 8 5 4 2 –   A 7 3

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