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Daily Bridge in New Zealand
A reward for risk.
This deal from the first round of the Gold Coast Teams proved too hard for many declarers. What are your thoughts about coming to 10 tricks? Overtricks can wait for another deal!
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North Deals |
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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1 NT |
Pass |
2 ♣ |
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Pass |
2 ♠ |
Pass |
4 ♠ |
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All pass |
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You open a 15-17 1NT and are soon in 4
via a Stayman auction. East leads 
K. What’s your line?
You have to lose a heart and probably two clubs which means that if the diamond finesse works, then all will be well. That sounds like a 50% game.
A 3-2 trump break would be handy. So, several declarers won the A and drew trumps in 3 rounds with East discarding a heart, denying interest in that suit. They took the diamond finesse and were soon one down. Indeed, if they decided to play 
K instead, they would be one down a little more slowly. The damage had already been done, at trick 1.
Could the contract be made when that diamond finesse fails? The answer is “yes” by taking a little risk:
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North Deals |
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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1 NT |
Pass |
2 ♣ |
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Pass |
2 ♠ |
Pass |
4 ♠ |
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All pass |
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The “risk” would be that you might suffer a club ruff if you ducked that K at trick 1 though the gain would come if the club break was the more normal 4-2 than 5-1. When one has two losers in a suit where one holds the ace, it can often be a good idea to duck the opening lead to try to stop the defenders communicating in that suit.
That would certainly have worked here. It would not have mattered had East held the A or had the clubs broken 3-3 but that was not the case here. The risk would certainly have been worth taking. When in with A, West has no clubs to play and will have to switch to a diamond. North should take their ace, even if the finesse was due to work and would then discard dummy’s 2 remaining clubs on KQ, losing just one club, A and 
K. North’s remaining club can be ruffed in the South hand.
Had the declarer won A at trick 1, drew trumps and then played K, West can win and the defence then takes two club tricks. East exits a heart (West cannot hold A as well as A) and eventually North has to take the losing diamond finesse. Down 1.
Certainly, one would have egg on one’s face if the second round of clubs got ruffed and the diamond finesse had failed. Yet, the odds do not favour those two things happening on the same board.
Richard Solomon
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