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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

The Best You Can.

If you do that on every board, you cannot feel bad about the result. Neither can your partner! Yet, did our South on the board below do the best they could in trying to make their game?

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West Deals
N-S Vul

K 7 6 2

J 9 7 5

K 3

J 6 2

   

N

W

 

E

S

   
 

A Q 8 4 3

A

9 4 2

K Q 7 4

 

West

North

East

South

1 

Pass

2 

2 ♠

Pass

3 ♠

Pass

4 ♠

All pass

 

 

 

 

You reach 4Spade-smalland West leads Diamond-smallQ. 2Heart-small showed a 6+ card suit and 0-6 hcp. Plan the play.

As North, you would feel quite happy that your partner has accepted your game invitation. Certainly, the North hand is no great collection but with a well-placed looking Diamond-smallK, it would not take much for partner to make 4Spade-small…like first-round heart control, reasonable trumps and some club honours. South had all of them and yet failed in their 4Spade-small contract. There was just one problem…West’s opening lead, that Diamond-smallQ.

What happened?

South covered with Diamond-smallK, as you do, with East’s ace winning. Back came a second diamond to West’s Diamond-small7. West played Diamond-smallJ..and the contract could no longer be made.

 

West Deals
N-S Vul

K 7 6 2

J 9 7 5

K 3

J 6 2

10

K 3

Q J 10 8 7 5

A 9 8 3

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

J 9 5

Q 10 8 6 4 2

A 6

10 5

 

A Q 8 4 3

A

9 4 2

K Q 7 4

 

West

North

East

South

1 

Pass

2 

2 

Pass

3 

Pass

4 

All pass

 

 

 

 

South could ruff high thus promoting a spade trick for East or simply ruff low and be over-ruffed. The Club-smallA was the 4th trick for the defence. Of course, ruffing high is better since both defenders might have two trumps each...but not today. 

The best they could?

Had South really played the contract well? Not really. The contract was absolutely cold had the diamond break been 4-4 or 5-3. South would lose just two diamonds and the Club-smallA.

Why, though, did South put up the Diamond-smallK at trick 1? Did you? A kind of reflex, really. But why, this time? Once every 10,000 boards you play, maybe more, West will find the brilliant lead of Diamond-smallQ from an initial holding of Diamond-smallAQJT

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Do not say a word….any word. Just think it!

and when you duck and then lose your king to the ace on the second round, your partner will ask (kindly, we hope) why you did not put up your king first time.

Pay out to that occasion. “Great lead” you will tell West and hopefully your partner is interested in your side of the story.

Remember that there is one other tiny reason to duck at trick 1…singleton ace in the East hand. 4Spade-small would then be cold even if trumps broke 3-1.

4Spade-small is actually unmakeable this time on the lead of Diamond-smallQ. You duck the first two tricks and East returns a club. A third round of diamonds will beat South as above.

Yet, does East know what to do when in with the Diamond-smallA? Do they know to switch to a club and not a heart? In a good partnership, they should because West can indicate what their partner should do at trick 3. A low diamond at trick 2 asks for a club, a high one for a heart, the higher of the other 2 non-trump suits. Of course, West does not know that their partner has a doubleton diamond but they must hope they do.

Not all partnerships have that kind of understanding…and that is why South is better to duck at trick 1. Then, if East finds a low club, too bad but they might switch to a heart.

So, you can judge as to whether South had done “the best they could”. I do not think so. One last comment. Just try leading the queen from AQJT against me in a suit contract. I will fix the board in advance to ensure my holding in the suit is singleton king in my hand!

 

What’s your bid? What’s your plan?

     

West Deals
None Vul

 

N

W

 

E

S

   
 

K 6 3 2

A 9 4

5

A 7 5 4 2

 

West

North

East

South

Pass

2 

Dbl

2 

Pass

2 ♠

Pass

?

 

2Diamond-small is a 2- way Multi which, by your partner’s 2Spade-small, is confirmed as a Weak 2 in spades. East’s double is described as “take-out style, not necessarily more than a minimum opening hand.”  

It is your turn. What now?

Richard Solomon

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