All News

“The Poisoned Apple” or Is the Dealer to blame?

Well, you’ve got to blame someone. You have just gone down in a 3NT contract when you had close to 11 tricks. It must be a really unlucky break that meant you went down. “Not my fault. I played a suit with 9 cards between our two hands missing two of the three top honours in a sensible way…and it just turned to custard.”

It sounds like a sad apology of someone who did/could do no wrong but suffered gross bad luck. A bridge player? Yes, as we suffer yet another 5-0 break (well, 3-1 in this case) with all our finesses failing. (The only finesse on the board did fail. They do sometimes!)

So, you be the judge. You can see all four hands.

 

The 9 did not look like a terrifying lead for declarer. South decided to win in dummy and try the 10. When East could muster no more than the 3, South decided to play the ace. She was not losing to any singleton honour. She did not!

She exited a diamond to West who carried on with spades. South won and would really have best advised to continue diamonds though unravelling two diamond and two club winners could then have proved awkward.

So, instead, South took a losing a heart finesse. East returned yet another spade. South won and cashed 10 but had only one way to dummy to cash the third heart trick…by leading a club (West had a high diamond and spade in their hand. A club had to be lost and declarer had already lost 2 tricks!). So a low club went to the jack and ace. East returned a club and although the third heart could be cashed (8 tricks to declarer), West took the last two tricks…down one!

Is that poor dealer to blame?

Certainly, South was unlucky with the diamond break. I am not sure if we could say “bad luck”. Had it been East who held DKQx rather than West, South's diamond play was questionable…but that is almost a red herring.

We saw South struggling to make 9 tricks even though there seemed to be 3 tricks in spades, 3 in hearts, 3 or 4 in diamonds and 2 in clubs. All South had to do was limit the losers. The only suit where something could really go wrong is the diamond suit….and that is the one South should have ignored. Be sure of your contract before playing for over-tricks.

South did not count their tricks. Three in each major, two in clubs and the A requires at worst losing the lead only twice. There could be no fifth defensive trick before South had 9.

Therefore, win the opening spade in hand to take a losing heart finesse. Back comes a second spade which you can win in dummy. Cash 10 and play a club to the jack and ace. Your last spade hold is taken out but you can play a club to the queen, cash two high hearts (discarding diamonds). You have taken 6 tricks in the majors and one club trick and hold one certain winner in each minor in your hand. Only now play a diamond.

Dreams of 11 tricks are just that. Hopes of 10 may well not eventuate. Just be sure of 9. That diamond suit was tempting to touch but like the poisoned apple in “Snow White” should be left well alone.

Richard Solomon

 

 

Go Back View All News Items