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Game of Two Sides.

Some contracts develop into a battle with both sides pushing to achieve their aim. Who will win? Let’s look at the game, or battle, through declarer’s eyes:

 

West’s intervention allowed North to overbid their hand slightly by bidding 2. They then completed shape-showing by bidding 3 though South was happy to play 3NT. Assuming you ducked West’s opening K lead (which must be correct), West switched to J after seeing what must have been a discouraging 7 from their partner. What is your basic plan for making 9 tricks?

Well, West’s “game” must be to get their partner in as soon as possible to play a second round of diamonds and hopefully establish their diamond winners. Your “game” is to score three club tricks which along with 6 top tricks in the other three suits would see you home. Playing on hearts might be correct but there seems to great a chance of East gaining the lead too early in the play to your ultimate downfall. Also, barring a very favourable QJ or honour nine doubleton in one hand or a 3-3 break, hearts will not provide enough tricks for declarer unless there is a 3-3 spade break...too many "ifs"! 

So, win A in dummy and play the club suit very carefully. You can start with 9 or indeed a low club from dummy, then inserting 7 when East plays low. Both plays lose to West’s Q. This was the full layout:

 

West elected to play 4 next. You win in dummy to play a low club to 10 (had you started with 9) or 9 had you started with a low club. It does East no good to insert J as either way the defence will only score two club tricks.

If after starting with 9, East does insert J on the second round, you would need to take A in case West had started originally with KQ8. Then play a spade to dummy to play a third club, preserving K as the entry to the South hand. When in, East switches to a diamond and with the club position now clear, you should be able to win the second round of that suit since West can no longer gain the lead.

Any of the above routes should see South score three club tricks and thus 9 tricks in total. By ensuring East does not get the lead too early, the West hand is never a danger.

Ironically, West could put pressure on declarer by continuing with diamonds at trick 2. South wins J and then has to play clubs very carefully and hope West does not win the lead at the critical time. Playing A at trick 3 may well be best, to be followed by a club to 9. If West had started with KQx, you were not going to make your contract unless there was a favourable lie in hearts and you could keep West off lead.

All up, a tricky deal which this time, should see the declaring “side” emerge with 9 tricks.

Richard Solomon

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