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For a Christmas Stocking.

“All a bridge player wants in their Christmas Stocking,
 Not multi alcohol nor chocolate: really shocking.
All a bridge player wants, a small request, please…..”

 

 

The lead is 8. You need all 13 tricks, no ducking anything to rectify the count! So? Both opponents follow to the first round of clubs.

Assuming the heart break is no worse than 4-1, you have 5 tricks there, 3 in clubs, A and, well, about 36% of the time 4 tricks in diamonds with a 3-3 break, which adds up to a very nice number. Maybe when J or even maybe T appears from East on the second round of the suit, you can guess to take a third round finesse and just hope that East is not tempting you to do something you would and maybe should not! Maybe the JT appear on the first two rounds. Dream on!

Let’s face it. You need 4 diamond tricks to come to 13. There’s no fall-back play….or is there?

There is certainly no rush to play diamonds. So to the “tried and true” approach of running winners in your long suit. Win the club in hand (keeping a high club in both hands seems sensible) and play 5 rounds of hearts: at least you hope you can. There’s a nice friendly 3-2 break with West having the doubleton. You do have to discard 2 cards from dummy…and there are really only 2 you can spare, T8. West has to find 3 discards, two smallish clubs and a low spade while East parts with a spade and a club. Both opponents seem to recognise the importance of the diamond suit, keeping all their cards in that suit "close to their chest". 

So, the key. Cash your black suit winners, starting with A and then the two high clubs. West discarded a small spade on the first club…and if all has gone according to plan, will not enjoy their next discard as these 5 cards remained before the last club is to be played:

On the last club, West has no answer. They can hope, in vain, that declarer does not hold K or that they do not hold Q. Throwing the K looks a better bet though either way, they will be disappointed.

“All a bridge player wants, a small request, please,
Is for 7NT to be bid and made on a squeeze.”

Well, those North-South players who held these cards at a last weekend Christmas tournament are still waiting. These were the 4 hands:

 

4NT was a slightly cautious quantitative raise on the basis that South might not be as strong (certainly true if their opening 1NT was 12-14...the strength of 3NT in the above auction should be confirmed by agreement.). 

6NT was not that common a contract as several pairs played in 6 where the squeeze is equally relevant while other North-Souths gave their opponents a very early “present” by not getting above game. One pair did reach 7NT but something went wrong in the play and they ended minus. 6NT here was high enough. We are awaiting for our stockings and a point or two more to make 7NT a good contract… maybe even on that squeeze.

All in the Slam Zone.

Yes, both sides are up there. So?

 

 

It’s Pairs and the opposition are not making this very easy. So?

Richard Solomon

 

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