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Bridge Psychology.

Whoever said bridge was about counting, mathematics? “Whoever” said that only told part of the story. You do not need a degree in psychology to do well at our game but a little understanding of our fellow humans sure helps. Make what you can of this.

 

South opens a 20-22 2NT and North raises to the no-trump game. You lead a 4^th highest 7 and are pleased to see your partner win A. They follow that up with 4. Declarer, who played 9 on the first round contributes J at trick 2. Which card do you play to this trick and why?

You are playing Pairs.

Remember that this is a 2-part question and that the answer to the second part is just as important as the first.

Let’s initially look at the mechanical side, high card point counting since it certainly has its place in defending. We have 7 and dummy 5. Being optimistic, opener has a mere 20 and our partner has owned up already to 4. Therefore, our partner has at most another 4 hcp but maybe has as little as 2.

It would seem very likely that the heart suit will be key to declarer’s success or failure. They may have enough tricks in the minor suits though with only one spade trick, hearts could play a key role.

Let’s look at 2 factors which point to contrasting decisions.

1.    If we do not take K now, declarer may make 12 tricks.

2.    If we take the K now, we cut communication between our partner and our hand. The play of the spade suit indicates that, barring a false-card from South, that our partner holds 2.

Both the above statements are potentially true, especially the second one.

At the table, West decided to take K and exit a third round with South discarding a diamond. In dummy with Q, South called for a small heart and left West stunned as South played their ace. Should West have been surprised?

 

The answer surely is “no, they should not”, not even seeing the lay-out of the heart suit. It was pointless South taking the diamond finesse. If it succeeded, they would still need 2 tricks from the heart suit. So, take one finesse not two. Yet, South did not take any finesses and emerged with 11 tricks.

It came down to psychology and how South would play the heart suit. Had West ducked the second round of spades, it would appear to South that East still held a spade, really the standard defence of keeping communications should East win the lead. However, by playing 3 rounds of spades, unless each defender held 4 spades (West should at least keep 5 hidden, trying to hide the fact that they held 5 spades originally… East’s spade play, though, did indicate a 3-card suit), the spade suit was no longer a threat. (If West had led from a 3-card suit, and East held 5, South should “pay out” to West’s excellent lead. West knew that was not the situation!) 

Thus, declarer could afford to play a heart to the ace and then play a second high heart hopefully losing to the K in the East hand. East could no longer threaten the contract. Certainly, South spurned an overtrick if that was the case but West had given South an extra chance, that the K would fall under the ace.

That was the answer to the second part of the question. West had to do everything possible to encourage declarer to take a heart finesse. If East still held a spade, then taking the heart finesse would be the percentage play.

In 4, only a club lead gives South a real problem. Then, declarer can cross to the K and take the heart finesse. If it loses, they can later take the diamond finesse. 

In 3NT, by playing 3 rounds of spades, West encouraged South to start with A…and paid the price.

Richard Solomon

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