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“THEY ARE NOT THAT BRILLIANT, ARE THEY?”

Just another board to plan at trick one. You are in 4 having shown great discipline in not opening a weak 2 with a good four card heart suit in your hand. They lead an annoying Q. Over to you?

 

 

Declarer covered and East won their ace and cashed ace and another diamond won by North’s queen. South expected an easy ride and drew three rounds of trumps before giving up a spade. When this suit did not break, there was an inevitable fourth loser, either a minor in the North hand or a spade in the South hand. These were the 4 hands:

 

 

South committed two crimes resulting in the contract’s demise though this time the contract was unmakeable by the time the second was committed. South might have wondered about East’s unusual defence at trick 2. Surely, East would have played a second spade has they got one? A bad spade break would mean that either 2 minor cards had to be ruffed in the South hand or two spades in the North hand. In these cases, only draw two rounds of trumps and then try for 2 ruffs in one hand. Whichever way South tried was here doomed to failure.

 When was the last time you saw an opponent lead at trick one the queen from AQ to a number, in a suit contract, especially when their right hand opponent had called the suit? A long, long time ago. Never. Why cover at trick one? You had no 10 or 9  to set up. When you ducked and East defended as before, you can now draw two rounds of trumps and start the cross-ruff. You can even cash the K! The defence’s ruff will be their third and last trick.

Pay out to brilliancy. Think about the cover before you do it automatically. Just occasionally, you will be very glad you did.

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

 

 

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