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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

 

Wise old owl!

 

Jan’s Day: Smart Defence

Only a few days ago, we told you how Bridge is a game of mistakes, or of avoiding them. Today’s article is an exception, with the hand won by good inspired defence. Equally important with respect to the article is the reaction below by the declarer to his opposition.

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South Deals
E-W Vul
A 9
A K Q 4
A 10 8 5
A J 2
8 6 3
J 9 7 6 3
K J 3 2
3
 
N
W   E
S
   
West North East South
You Dummy    
      2 
Pass 2 NT Pass 3 
Pass 3  Pass 3 NT
Pass 4  Dbl Pass
Pass 6  All pass  

 

2Spade-smallis a Weak 2 but may be a card suit, 5-9 hcp. All North’s bids except the last are relays, artificial.

South showed 4 diamonds (3Diamond-small) and 5143 shape (3NT) while the pass of 4Club-smallx showed a minimum hand.

 

 You lead your club won in dummy. Declarer plays their 3 top hearts discarding two clubs from hand and then a low diamond from dummy to East’s Diamond-small6 and South’s Diamond-small7. Over to you.

 

Jan's Day

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Jan Cormack

 

The Card West Cannot hold

“The instant dummy is exposed is the time to formulate some idea of the best chances to defeat the contract.

 

Even the slightest hesitation during the play of the hand can be very informative and may direct the declarer to the winning line.

 

For example, if you hold the ace over dummy’s KQT, you should decide whether you wish to take the king with the ace well before the suit is first played by the declarer. This will enable you to duck smoothly, leaving the whereabouts of the ace in doubt.

 

Sitting West, with the hand above, how would you defend against 6Diamond-small?You lead Club-small3 and see dummy. South wins the first trick with dummy’s Club-smallA and cashes three top hearts, discarding his club losers.

 

A low diamond follows from dummy with declarer playing Diamond-small7 after your partner plays Diamond-small6. You now have had plenty of time to plan your defence. Which card do you play?

 

The international player sitting West smoothly played Diamond-smallK which won. Then, he returned a spade into declarer’s suit. Of course, South then placed Diamond-smallJ with East.

 

South could have made his contract by rising with Spade-smallA and leading a low diamond towards the queen, preparing to finesse Diamond-small9 but naturally, he won the spade in hand and led a low diamond to the ace. Here are the four hands:

 

 

South Deals
E-W Vul
A 9
A K Q 4
A 10 8 5
A J 2
8 6 3
J 9 7 6 3
K J 3 2
3
 
N
W   E
S
 
Q 7 2
10 8 2
6
K Q 10 9 7 6
 
K J 10 5 4
5
Q 9 7 4
8 5 4
West North East South
      2 
Pass 2 NT Pass 3 
Pass 3  Pass 3 NT
Pass 4  Dbl Pass
Pass 6  All pass  

 

If West wins the first trump with Diamond-smallJ, declarer can reach his hand with a heart ruff no matter what West returns. He picks up the trump suit, finessing through West again and is able to run the spades by finessing once through East.

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At the end of the hand, the declarer turned to West and congratulated him on his clever defence.”

 

For Less Experienced Players…and others!

 

It’s A Nightmare!

 

 

     
North Deals
N-S Vul
 
N
W   E
S
   
 
K Q 5 4 3 2
K Q 8 7 6 5 3
West North East South
  1  Pass 2 
Pass 2  Pass 3 
Pass 3 NT Pass ?

 

No, I did not make this hand up. It happened, very recently! What to do? Let partner stew in 3NT?

See you tomorrow.

Richard Solomon

 

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