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PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
A Good Look at Dummy?
Sometimes, declarers are one-eyed and overlook the easiest way to make their contract. The declarer below should have had their other eye open when playing Teams, as they failed in the following game contract.
| Board 1 North Deals None Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♦ | Pass | 1 ♠ | |
| Pass | 4 ♠ | All pass |
West found the good lead of a trump. What would be your plan? (trumps broke 3-2).
South won in hand, and played 
A and tried to ruff a diamond. If diamonds broke 3-3, the suit could be set up and declarer would lose just a heart. However, before South got to ruff, East ruffed in first, with the winning 
T, and then played a second round of trumps (West following). South had one trump trick and could ruff four cards, which along with three aces fell well short of the 10 tricks required.
| Board 1 North Deals None Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♦ | Pass | 1 ♠ | |
| Pass | 4 ♠ | All pass |
The 5-1 diamond break was unlucky but declarer was likely to find the hand hard to play on cross-ruff lines even if the diamonds broke 4-2. South neither had enough trumps nor enough high trumps.
South made two significant mistakes. The first was in winning the first trick in hand. With no trump finesse remotely possible, it is a good idea to keep a high trump in each hand just in case, as happened, someone starts ruffing earlier than you would wish.
However, South made another mistake even earlier than that. They failed to look properly at dummy. Dummy is on the declarer’s side and is sometimes the hand that needs setting up. Looking at the above dummy, there are only three losers, two diamonds and a heart. The rest of the hand is high. If trumps misbehaved, cross-ruffing would prove awkward.
So, win the opening lead in dummy and play A planning on ruffing one but only one diamond. When East ruffs, over-ruff and play another trump to dummy. Now play J, discarding a heart from hand. Win West’s return, playing a heart to dummy if it was a club and play T discarding another heart from hand. Dummy is now high. Contract made. Next board, please.
I have seen recent examples of where the dummy hand had the necessary top tricks for the contract but declarer did not realise it. Unfortunately, the dummy player is not allowed to point out how good their hand is, until it is too late!
Richard Solomon
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