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too many losers!.

Loser Reduction.

Jack James and George Masters recorded a clear win in the Waikato Bays Swiss Pairs at the Hamilton Bridge Club on Saturday. The following board produced good declarer play from Jack. How then would you play the following 4S contract?

 

3 was Bergen, showing 3 spades and 10-11 hcp and 4 showed who really held that suit!

West led Q overtaken by East who cashed K with West discarding a club. East continued with J. Over to you.

Two losers already and although one diamond could be discarded on clubs, that still left a diamond loser…and if West held Q, which was quite likely, then that meant down 1. Taking the penalty from 4 suddenly seemed like a good idea!

 

 

However, Jack found a way. He discarded a diamond on the third round of hearts. East switched to a diamond which Jack won in hand to lead J, finessing, then 10 finessing again, K, A, A and then a couple of rounds of clubs discarding his remaining diamond…and he had made 10 tricks. That was a nice loser on loser player on the third round of hearts.

But wait. The contract could still have been beaten. Can you spot how?

East had to continue with a 4^th round of hearts giving Jack an unwanted ruff and discard. If Jack ruffs in hand with 6, West can over-ruff with 7 creating a certain trump trick for themselves.

If Jack ruffs with 9, West must not over-ruff. Now Jack can play J, not covered but when he plays 10, West can cover to promote 7 as a trick for the defence.

If Jack discards from hand and ruffs in dummy, then West will always score a spade trick, simply by playing low when J is played from declarer’s hand.

 
Jack, George and Hamilton Club President, 
Mereanna Cullen

The above defence was not found and Jack’s nice play enabled him to make his contract and score 7imps on the way to a comfortable victory.

Richard Solomon

 

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