When playing duplicate bridge, making your contract with an ‘up-trick’ will usually enhance your score, but ferreting out that added trick can take extra effort. One thoughtful declarer found that all-important extra trick in this month’s hand. Can you?
[the bidding]
| N | E | S | W |
| 1NT | Pass | ||
| 2C | 2D | 2H | Pass |
| 3NT | Pass | 4S | Pass |
| Pass | Pass |
Opening lead: ♦ 8
Cover the East/West hands and see if you can make the contract.
NORTH
♠ K 9 8 5
♥ K Q
♦ 9 6 4 2
♣ A Q 4
WEST EAST
♠ 7 6 4 2 ♠ 3
♥ 10 7 3 2 ♥ 9 8 4
♦ 8 3 ♦ A Q J 10 7
♣ J 3 2 ♣ K 7 6 5
SOUTH
♠ A Q J 10
♥ A J 6 5
♦ K 5
♣ 10 9 8
[the play]
1. West leads the ♦ 8, 2 from dummy, East the Ace, South the 5. East continues with the ♦ Queen, declarer plays the King, and everyone follows.
2. Declarer loses one trick but, with the correct play in ♣, can make 11 tricks.
3. Noting the high spot cards in the trump suit, declarer considers another line of play.
4. Setting up a cross-ruff is a possibility. If the hand holding the long-remaining trumps also holds the long ♥, making six also is a possibility.
5. Declarer starts by playing the ♠ 10 to dummy’s King.
6. The ♥ King and ♥ Queen are played.
7. The ♠ 5 back to the Ace, East showing out.
8. Declarer plays the ♥ Ace, discarding the ♣ 4. Then declarer plays the ♥ Jack, discarding the ♣ Queen (long ♥ with long trumps).
9. ♣ 8 to the ♣ Ace.
10. ♦ 9 ruff with ♠ Queen.
11. ♣ 10 to ♠ 9.
12. ♦ 6 to ♠ Jack.
13. ♣ 9 to ♠ 8.
14. West has followed helplessly, under-trumping the last two tricks.
Declarer not only made an extra trick, but made two extra tricks, some six odd. A very
[tip of the day]
Q. Kenny, we were playing against you the other day and you told your partner the ‘grip-it and rip-it’ style doesn’t work in bridge. What did you mean?
A. My frequent partner, Nancy Burke, is an avid golfer. ‘Grip-it and rip-it’ is a reference to pro-golfer John Daly’s style of playing fast. Playing fast is not recommended in golf, and I was pointing out it that it also is not recommended in bridge. good score; well timed and well thought-out!
[Do you have a good bridge tip? Email kennethmbland@yahoo.com]