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HEARD AROUND THE TABLES:
Player’s remark, confidently expressed: “I’ll never ever make a silly mistake again."
“Partner, why on Earth did you revoke on that previous trick?”
So this is what a winner’s voucher looks like!”
“I never win because I never get good cards.”
Player 1: “Declarer can do no wrong – that’s one of the Rules of Bridge, isn’t it?”
Player 2: “No, I think it is: The Director can do no wrong!” (Laughter…)
"Partner, you should’ve held up for only one trick, deep-finessed trumps and, after ducking the Diamonds twice, overtaken the Spade King, then ruffed a Club high in Dummy and, if West discarded any black card, run the winners on the table. Quite easy, actually…"
"Director we need you -- my elastic’s broken…”
Player, nervously laying down Dummy: “Partner, I think that I’ve badly overbid my hand. What should I do?”
Declarer, with unusual threatening intonation: “Don’t worry, I’ll be a Dummy soon...”
Wednesday night Declarer, incredulously: “Partner, why didn’t you tell me you were going to do that?”
Married couple John and Helen occasionally play together. One day, John was not at bridge.
Player’s warm greeting: “Hi Helen, how’s John?”
Helen, determinedly: “He’s spending the whole day in the garage.”
Player: “Why, what’s he done wrong this time?”
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Grandad’s Lesson of the Week (36)
E-W Vulnerable,…. Dealer: SOUTH
………..NORTH (Dummy)
………....S J87
…………H AKJ85
…………D 109
…………C 1076
WEST……………...EAST
S 543………………S 2
H 93………………..H Q1042
D KQJ62…………..D 8543
C 542………………C QJ93
…………SOUTH
...............S AKQ1096
………...H 76
………...D A7
………...C AK8
Contract: 6S….. Declarer: SOUTH …… Opening lead: DK
You’ll notice that the trumps (Spades) are solid from Ace of Spades to S6. We say that these Spades are “equal” because any one of them will beat any lower E-W card.
Also, we notice that there are 2 losers: D7 and C8.
Declarer wins the first trick with DA.
There is a finessing opportunity in Hearts. With a 50% chance of a finesse failure, and a subsequent Diamond return, it is not the best option.
The best line of play is to immediately play HA and HK, then ruff a Heart. Return to Dummy with a trump and ruff another Heart. The remaining fifth Heart will allow a discard of one of the two potential losers. This play is okay unless the E-W Hearts divide 5-1 or 6-0. The chances of such bad splits is about one sixth of the chance of 4-2 or 3-3 splits. That’s extraordinarily good odds.
So why did some players fail to make this contract?
The Spades are not equal for Declarer when playing the hand. If the first ruff is taken with the S6 there will be a problem for Declarer trying to return twice to Dummy. Declarer must trump the Hearts with the high Spades in hand and keep the lowest Spades for transport back to Dummy. Check the precise choice of cards that you would play in Spades.
It’s really so simple – but it’s a disaster for those who don’t PAUSE and THINK, and plan the line of play before rushing in.
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Grandad’s Lesson of the Week (35)
E-W Vulnerable, Dealer: NORTH
………NORTH (Dummy)
………....S 62
…………H KQ5
…………D AQ964
…………C Q107
WEST……………EAST
S A8753………….S K104
H J92……………..H 8643
D 75……………....D K2
C 962……………..C 8543
……….SOUTH
………...S QJ9
………...H A107
………...D 83
………...C AKJ
Bidding: North opened 1D and SOUTH bid 3NT directly.
Lead: S5
WEST has only 5HCP, so assuming that N-S have about 25-27HCP to bid 3NT, WEST deduces that EAST has about 7or 8 HCP and therefore should have entries.
Furthermore, SOUTH did not bid 1S after NORTH’s 1D, therefore WEST knows that SOUTH does not have four Spades. Seeing Dummy with two Spades, and having five in hand, WEST knows that partner EAST has at least three Spades.
EAST wins trick 1, and correctly returns the S10 (not the S4), which is covered by SOUTH.
If WEST takes the SA and leads a third Spade to set up the suit, how will WEST ever get the lead again to cash the remaining two Spade winners?
Declarer goes on to lose the Diamond finesse to EAST, but collects a total of ten tricks.
At this point let us suppose that the identical Spade suit is in N-S in another NT contract, with NORTH having no other entries:
NORTH (Dummy)
A8753
SOUTH
K104
How would you, as Declarer, play this suit?
Yes, with five cards missing you would win the King and duck a second round. When you regain the lead in SOUTH you lead to the Ace and gain two more Spade tricks. Easy!
Of course, we are assuming that the Spades break in the favourable 3-2 split (more than 68% likelihood, considering the bidding).
Isn’t this what E-W should do in the first example? After all, WEST knows that EAST has three Spades and entries, and therefore WEST must not take the Spade Ace until EAST returns a third Spade. The 3NT contract will be defeated by the correct defence.
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Grandad’s Lesson of the Week (34)
Many players do not realise that, with a given deal with thirteen cards to each hand, the number of Declarer’s winners and the number of possible losing tricks do not necessarily add up to 13.
Consider this deal, and see a very common mistake in card play.
Dealer: SOUTH
Contract: 4S (there may be a variety of bidding systems)
Declarer: SOUTH
Opening lead: HK
........NORTH
……….S 987
……….H J6
……….D 863
……….C K9732
WEST..........EAST
S J632……....S 54
H KQ82….....H A10954
D Q95……....D J1072
C 106…….....C 84
.........SOUTH
……….S AKQ10
……….H 73
……….D AK4
……….C AQJ5
While many players may end in a losing 5C contract, a 4S contract can score Game. Can you make it?
Well, you can count 10 winners (three Spades, two Diamonds, and five Club tricks). So all is okay? Let’s see…
WEST leads HK, then HQ overtaken by EAST’s Ace. It’s no use EAST now leading the top H10 as Dummy will ruff and the losing Diamond in hand will be discarded. A ruff and discard given to Declarer is usually very gratefully received, thank you!
EAST will lead a low Diamond (leading through SOUTH’s strength up to weakness in Dummy). Declarer wins the Diamond and leads three rounds of trumps, finding that SJ is the master trump still left in WEST.
If Declarer then gives WEST his due Spade (trump) winner, E-W will run their Heart winners and N-S is heading into a disappointing disaster, dismal dismay and disgusting disgrace. Yes, it’s that bad, because there is a way to make this 4S contract, even though you have more than three losers.
First, you have a chance that E-W may botch their defence. Watch this:
Go back to Trick 7 (you have just played the three top trumps). Start on the Clubs. On the third Club, WEST ruffs with the master SJ and plays a Heart which you ruff with the S10, and now you use your fourth Club to cross to Dummy. The losing D4 is discarded on Dummy’s fifth Club. Voila, GAME!! You lost only three tricks: two hearts and a trump. Now the Defenders are in distressing disarray.
But wait. The Defenders can defeat the contract from Trick 7. How?
By using a signal that tells their partner when to trump with the SJ.
When SOUTH starts on the Clubs (Trick 8, 9, etc), EAST should play C8 and then C4. This HI-LOW discard play means that EAST has an EVEN number of cards in this suit. Clearly not four, but two Clubs. WEST therefore can count to 13, and deduces that Declarer has four Clubs. WEST will hold up trumping with the SJ until the last Club in SOUTH is led and then lead a Heart. Declarer ruffs but cannot get back to Dummy’s fifth Club so the losing Diamond brings defeat.
Now how does Declarer ever make this contract against good defence? You can see that WEST had the master trump (SJ) and therefore had CONTROL. West could pick the right moment to use that trump winner. Can you see the solution to the problem? Yes? Good!
You know that a 4-2 (or 2-4) split is far more likely than a 3-3 division of the Spade suit. The SJ is also more likely to be in a four-card holding than in a doubleton.
If you give the opponents their likely trump winner BEFORE playing your own trump winners you have removed control from them. Play the S10 and let the opponent’s SJ win. This the KEY PLAY.
Win their return and then draw trumps. Now you can run your Clubs safely and discard your D4. That’s ten tricks. You have discovered and displayed the secret of distinguished play.
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Author! Author!
Grandad
