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Planning for the Inevitable.

What’s that? Nothing so morbid as a will! For many, well, let’s say all, bridge players, “the inevitable” is that you take a losing finesse. If not on this board, well, it will happen soon. In fact, it will happen on this board, whichever way you finesse because you could finesse either opponent. So, when the finesse loses, you want to be in the best position to take advantage of the situation.

 

You would have wished that you were playing the above deal in 4. However, that suit never got a mention. 2NT was game-forcing with heart agreement and 3 showed your shortage in that suit.

West led J which you covered (to keep West honest!)  and East's A took the trick. Rather surprisingly, East shifted to J which you ducked with West playing 8 and dummy's Q winning the trick. Play on (East has three small trumps).

 

You would have expected that the defence would have played a second club at trick 2, making you ruff and then earn 9 more tricks if you could. The diamond switch was a surprise and it would have been a pleasant surprise had the opponent with the A played it at trick 2. No such luck. You do not really know where the A is. If West held it, they might play their partner for KJT, win their ace and return a second diamond.

So, maybe East has led away from A? Again, an unusual action but if their partner held K, then the defence might be able to take three diamond tricks before declarer, you, could discard diamonds on spades. Maybe. Maybe we should have put up the K?

Maybe we should ruff dummy’s club and then maybe we should draw some trumps! Come on, enough "maybes". It's time to win some tricks! Ruff dummy's club and lead trumps. East had three small ones and West discarded a couple of small clubs. One club, two diamonds and a spade loser added up to too high a number of losers. So, to the spade finesse. Which way?

Any ideas?

Since you still have K in your hand, when all else fails (like the spade finesse), you want to be able to lead towards the king. So, you need to retain a high spade as an entry to dummy to do that. However, if you finesse through West and lose to East, you know what East will play, a small diamond. Not the best!

So, to the plan. As usual, make the defenders help you out if you can and if not, then lead a diamond  from dummy as a last resort. You will be better off losing the spade finesse to West and infinitely better off if West has to help you out by leading diamonds. Watch:

 

You want to play a high spade first just in case the queen drops. So, A and importantly 9 not J as you want to have a spade entry back to the North hand when West wins Q. (Is such talk pessimism or realism?!)

So, West won their queen (the inevitable!) but then had to help you out as the diamond came next. Certainly, you were in a fine position as long as East held A but you are even more comfortable when West has to lead the danger suit for you.

Of course, had you played K and a second spade, you were likely to make an overtrick! 10 tricks were an ample number on a deal where had East continued clubs at trick 2, it would have been quite random how you played spades and diamonds.

   Their

Your

 

Without seeing Q, East’s defence had merit if South had held six hearts and only three spades. That was not the case on this day. As declarer, you need to take advantage of any possible help inadvertently given by the defence, as South did in the situation above.

Two passed hands in game!

 

Well, you may have opened this South hand (it does conform to the Rule of 20 for opening bids…sum of high card points and two longest suits equalling at least 20) but after both North and South passed at their first opportunity, South found themselves in 4.

West led a high club and East found a small one in their hand to confirm West had only 6 clubs. Next came a low club which East ruffed with 6. Next came 9 from East.

Plan the play. You do want to make your contract, don’t you?

Until Monday.

Richard Solomon

 

 

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