When playing in a seemingly hopeless contract, sometimes a confident declarer with a positive outlook will find his way home. This month’s hand is a good example.
« the bidding
S
1 ♥
1 NT
Pass
W
Pass
Pass
Pass
N
1 ♠
3 NT
E
Pass
Pass
« opening lead: ♠4
NORTH
♠ A K 3 2
♥ Q 9 7
♦ K 10 6
♣ 6 5 2
WEST
♠ J 9 6 4
♥ J 5
♦ J 9 5
♣ 9 7 4 3
EAST
♠ 10 7 5
♥ A 4 3
♦ A 8 7 3
♣ A 10 8 3
SOUTH
♠ Q 8
♥ K 10 8 6 2
♦ Q 4 2
♣ K Q J
the play
1. West led the ♠ 4, 2 from Dummy, East the 10 and Declarer the Queen.
2. Counting tricks to be taken, Declarer started on the ♥ suit.
3. ♥ 2, West the 5, North the Queen, and East the Ace.
4. East leads back the ♠ 7, taken in Dummy by the King.
5. Declarer didn’t like her prospects, realizing the remaining two Aces had to be with East.
6. ♣ 2 was led, East played the Ace, South the Jack, and West the 3.
7. East led back the ♠ 5 and Declarer won the Ace in the Dummy.
8. Taking stock, Declarer had three ♠s, one ♥, one ♦, and two ♣s perforce.
9. Needing two more tricks to fulfill her contract, Declarer had to make a ♥ play.
10. ♥ 9 from Dummy, East the 3, Declarer the King (!), and then West the Jack.
11. When the ♥ Jack fell, South’s contract was safe: three ♠s, four ♥s, and two ♣s. South could
now afford to force a ♦ trick for 10 tricks and a big matchpoint score.
NOTE: Declarer was working with the positive premise that all three Aces were with East. With that deduction, even if East held the missing ♥ Jack, the contract would still make.
tip of the day
Q| the better players seem to make contracts we mere mortals don’t. What’s the secret?
A| No secret. Not magic. The ‘better’ players make positive deductions and place cards where they need to be to make their contract.
big games & scores
July 5 | Cynthia Peters/Isabelle Montupet, 71.88%, Other Afternoon
July 23 | Terri Leamy/Normanathy, 72%, St . Louis Bridge Center
July 27 | John Burgener/Richard Haacke, 74.31%, J’s Bridge Pad
July 30 | Debra Romero/En Xie, 72.24%, St . Louis Bridge Center
Do you have a good bridge tip? Email kennethmbland@yahoo.com