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A Dangerous Opponent.

Something perhaps tough for Junior players today: something perhaps to aspire to.

The following deal looked pretty routine, at least when South saw dummy. Then, something rather annoying happened:

 

South opened a 12-14 1NT. 2 showed at least 5 spades. North next showed a balanced hand outside spades and enough hcp for game (3NT). South chose to play 4 because they had an 8-card fit and they were a little worried about their doubleton diamond.

West led J and declarer won A in dummy. Assuming that there was no trump loser, a nice 3-2 break, South could not lose more than 3 tricks at worst, 2 hearts and 1 club.

So, declarer played a low spade to the king in hand (the correct way to draw trumps if West held 4 headed by the jack). Alas, East discarded a diamond meaning West held all 5 missing trumps. This meant there was a certain trump loser. Let’s look at all four hands:

 

South won K, cashed Q and then played a third spade to dummy’s 10. They then cashed A discarding 3 from hand. They tried a club to their K and then a third club, losing to East’s Q. East switched to a heart with West taking 2 heart tricks (Q then A) followed by a winning trump. The contract was one down.

South was unlucky with that trump break and the lie of AQ but could they have still made the contract? The answer is “yes”. Can you see how?

Let’s ask another question. One of the opponents is the danger hand? Can you see which one?

You might think it was West because they held 5 trumps. Not so! It was East because if East could be kept off lead, then the defence would not be able to score two heart tricks. Even before South knew of the bad break, they could have taken a precaution that might and indeed would prove necessary for the contract’s success.

An inference from the opening lead

At trick 1, West led J. Since the lead of a jack denies a queen, South knew East held Q. Missing QJ10 and holding 8 clubs between the 2 hands, a club had to be lost. So, it was just about certain to be safe to lose it at trick 1 (unless East inserted Q, which here costs the defence their club trick). Had the trump break been kinder or had East held Q, this precaution would not have been necessary. On the above lay-out, it was.

Had West won trick 1, they would continue a second club won by K in dummy. Then followed 4 rounds of spades as above but then South can play 3 more rounds of clubs and if necessary 2 rounds of diamonds. If West ruffs a club, they can only cash A. If they exit a diamond when there are none left in dummy, North’s remaining trump becomes declarer’s 10^th trick. South would make 5 trumps, 2 diamonds and 3 club tricks… 10 tricks.

If West kept discarding, declarer can discard two hearts from dummy on the clubs and then play a heart. West has to win and will have  thrown two diamonds and a heart or three diamonds. South will still prevail. Either way:   contract made.

Ducking that club at trick 1 was a cost-free wise precaution.

Richard Solomon

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