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Getting Rid of Your Losers

The teacher said when you are in a trump contract, it is usually best to draw the opposition’s trumps. Normally, hopefully, your side has more than they do and you can stop their trumps being a threat.

The teacher also added the word “but” or was it “there are times when you might need to play a different suit before you draw trumps”? She said there were times you had to use dummy’s trumps for ruffing.

Not too many exceptions, please.

“One more for today “said the teacher. Look at the board you just played.

 

West led the Q and you won, drew trumps, finishing in hand and played your singleton spade. West won and continued with the J. You won and exited with a third round of clubs to East who played Q and you had to lose two diamond tricks to be one down. Good defence.

If South had counted their possible losers when they saw dummy, there was a risk of losing those four tricks (one spade, one club and two diamonds). What could be done? South played the cards correctly but in the wrong order.

At trick 2, South needed to play their spade. West had overcalled 1 and was very likely to hold the ace. If that was the case, then one of those potential or real losers could be thrown on the K..but the only way to get to the K (without opposition help) was in trumps….hence the need to play a spade before trumps were drawn.

If you did that, West would win and may even lay down the A, thus giving you an overtrick as you discard a club on the K. Even if West continued clubs, 10 tricks are assured, as long as you played a spade at trick 2.

You did not reward your partner’s faith in raising you to game with just 5 high card points.

So, draw trumps if you can as soon as you can but sometimes there is something more urgent you need to do. It’s the exceptions to every rule which make bridge both tough and fascinating.

Richard Solomon

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