All News

Fearing the Worst.

At times, we are taught to be optimistic at the bridge table. Then, there are the times when we fear the worst might happen. Which of these statements do you think apply below when the stakes are high in this 3NTx contract?

 

West’s 2 showed 5 spades and 4+ of a minor, less than an opening hand. After you announce your strong no-trump, West rather unusually bids again. Your partner makes a take-out double of 3 and with a good hold in West’s main suit, you try 3NT. Yet, East had their say, too, by doubling the final contract. An interesting auction.

West leads 2, attitude style (low like) and East contributes K. You win and play a low club to A with 7 and 3 being contributed by the defenders. Where to from here?

The one thing you must not do is note that you cannot lose more than 3 tricks in 4! Wishing would not make that so!

You do have 5 heart tricks, AK and a high spade. You only need one more trick and that, of course, could easily come from clubs were the opponents to have 2 each. Overtricks a ‘plenty then.

Yet, there are problems with laying down K. It is 99.99% certain that West has spades and diamonds, and plenty of them, leaving very little room for 2 clubs. If Q does not appear on the second round, you are cut off from dummy while the defence attacks diamonds. Then, there is the position of the A. There are no worries if East holds it but plenty if it is West.

So, there you are in dummy at trick 2 with A. Our declarer played 2 rounds of hearts, noting West’s spade discard on the second round of hearts. They found not just a safe play next but the winning one. Out came J. If West held both Q and 10, they could take them both but 9 would then be declarer’s 9^th trick. If East held KQ (unlikely from West's attitude lead at trick 1), then you could start counting the undertricks, doubled ones too! (Surely then West would hold A and you would wish you had settled for down 1!).

The important point was that West, who was likely to hold Q, could not do declarer any damage. At worst, they could play a second club. They could not:

 

9 became South’s 9^th trick. West hoped their partner held K and underled their ace. So, that suit produced a 10^th trick for declarer.

A double of 3NT by the defender not on lead tends to ask for the lead of dummy’s first bid suit. North had implied hearts by their double and West might have tried that singleton lead. As long as South plays a club to the ace and then dummy’s spade, they will come to 9 tricks. East hoped their partner would lead a spade and, of course, they did. Without the double, West might have tried a low diamond at trick 1….and then there would have been no story.

Although, rather modestly, she dismissed her play as “routine”, it was nevertheless very thoughtful declarer play above by Liz Fisher. +950 was a just reward.

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items