All News

Good suit unplayed!

Ignoring the Obvious.

Next Friday, we will resume deals for less experienced players. Today’s deal is relatively straightforward too and contains a quite common situation where players  can slip up in defending a no-trump contract. It comes from the recent Asia Cup competition in Jakarta. Our young international, Jack James, did not fall into the trap. Hopefully, you will not, either.

 

Natural bidding to 3NT by the opposition and you, North, choose to lead low from your longest and the unbid heart suit. The J in dummy is covered by your partner’s Q and won by declarer in hand with K.

At trick 2, West plays 9..and you?

What is declarer up to? They have a very decent source of tricks in dummy with the club suit but they choose to play a spade at trick 2. We all know that one very common approach in no-trumps is to play your long suit of winners first… but that does not seem to be happening here.

You need to make a decision instantaneously because if declarer has to guess between playing low or playing the king (say they were just missing Q and A), then a hesitation here would give the game away. Jack James did not hesitate. He took his A.

 

Potentially, there was still some work to be done to defeat the contract. On the actual lay-out, Jack could simply lay down AT and the 7 would beat declarer’s 5 on the fourth round of the suit, enabling the defence to take 4 heart tricks along with A to defeat 3NT by one trick.

However, swap the 8 and 5 and then it would be imperative for Jack to lead a low heart to South’s 9 to score 4 heart tricks. The defence could score enough heart tricks to beat the game if declarer held K9xx. So, Jack did underlead his top two hearts (playing West for a better 4-card heart suit than actually held) enabling four heart tricks to be won in comfort.

Guessing Declarer’s Plan

However, although possibly important to beating the contract, the key to a successful defence was in Jack winning A at trick 2. The moral is that when a declarer seemingly ignores a likely source of tricks, they have a plan, a need to win tricks before cashing that tricks in that suit. Counter that plan quickly if you can or else you will likely concede a making game.

Had Jack ducked, West would have one trick in each major, the top two diamonds and five club tricks. It was a make or bust situation for West. After the heart lead, West did not have the time to lose a diamond trick to make their contract. They needed that spade trick quickly.

A warning!

That club suit in dummy was a warning. When declarer leaves such a suit alone, they are likely to want to score a side-suit trick quickly. Beware as indeed Jack was.

The heart lead was unfortunate for the defence as it gave West an immediate 8^th trick. After an initial spade lead, West only has 8 tricks even if they play rather boldly K. Hearts will no longer provide a 9^th trick as long as South covers J.

                ignored.. but not forgotten..as if an elephant would!

 

Beware a declarer who appears to leave a long strong suit alone. They will not leave it alone forever!

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items