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Match optimism with care.

The optimism came in the bidding. The care needed to come in the declarer play. If South exercised both, they could consider it a job well done on the following board. You have already taken an optimistic route in the bidding.

 

3 was a minimum response but South had a decent hand with all those aces and the trump queen. So, they tried Key Card and when their partner showed up with the missing two, slam it was. Even on a bad day, partner had to have more than A and K.

West was not going to help declarer with an attacking minor suit lead and so chose 5 with 7 winning the first trick as East followed with 4. What’s your plan to make 12 tricks?

I did emphasise “12” tricks. On a good day, the spades will break 3-2 and you will make all 13 without the need of a finesse. You would be wishing you were a level higher!

Yet, when in 6, you must be aware of any dangers to ensure you make your contract. Trumps are not providing a problem as you already know that the break is no worse than 3-1. Without wanting to resort to minor suit finesses, you would want to establish dummy’s spade suit for at least two discards. What if the spade break was 4-1 with a defender holding QJxx? You could draw a second round of trumps and then play 2 top spades though could not establish the spade suit, even if you survived a ruff, and would have to resort to taking the club finesse…and if no joy there, the diamond finesse. You may survive… but there is a better way. Even cashing AK, or trying to, would not work with lack of entries to dummy.

The better way gives up making 13 tricks but should ensure 12. At trick 2, cash A but then give up a spade trick by leading low towards 10. There is no danger in doing this. If the spade break is 3-2, a third round of spades cannot hurt you as you can ruff( high if necessary), and play one or two rounds of hearts to the KJ in dummy and then claim….and when the spade break is less kind….

 

Even if East had a second trump to play, you would still be fine as you would  need just one ruff in the South hand before drawing the remaining trump and having K97 available for three minor suit discards. On the actual deal, East would exit a minor card which you win with the ace before playing a trump to dummy, ruff a spade and claim by playing a second trump to dummy.  

Those players who resorted to two minor suit finesses and those who played AK might be moaning about their bad luck…but there was a better way. And if you were playing Pairs? Well, you may not record a top score for the successful line but there would be others with a worse score than yours.

Ensure the boldness in bidding was matched by the care in declarer play.

Richard Solomon

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