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A Touch of Good Fortune.

A little levity but still a challenge for you in the play at the same time. So, we can combine the headings from two features into one.

You are playing a Teams style match when your opponents engage in what sounds like a strong slam-going sequence. Well, one opponent does. They produce a heart cue-bid and then a cue-bid in clubs while on the other side of the table, their partner tries to sign off in a game contract, spades being trumps.

Finally, our cue-bidder gets the message but not before Blackwood had been used. Their partner really had a poor hand and was left to make 11 tricks in 5. The defence took their red suit aces in the first two tricks (the heart “ psycic cue” had been made with the wonderful holding of Q4.) Fortunately for our phantom cue-bid maker, their partner did hold the K.

However, that was not the end of the matter as declarer had a 5-4 trump fit, missing both the queen and the jack. Yes, you guessed it. Trumps broke 2-2 meaning declarer had no further losers…. making 11 tricks.

Time for the Touch

South, one of the defenders, reached across to dummy and rubbed shoulders with him, to infuse some of the good fortune which seemed to surround him.

A couple of boards later (sometimes this technique takes a board or two to work), South held the following:

 1054  KQ53   QT3   J97 and saw this following sequence:

West              North            East                South

3                  x                      Pass                ?

“3 and a half hearts” is what you would really like to say. Maybe take off a quarter for the poor shape and add a smattering for those 10’s and, well, there’s always misdefence while it is Teams and a vulnerable game could await. So, 4 it had to be. Dummy was not to prove to be much of a joy:

 

 Initial Thoughts!

West led the K. While one is supposed to come up with a plan at this early stage, the only positive thought could be that West had heard of 6 card pre-empts! Otherwise, the contract would meet a very quick death. Such thoughts as “partner, you are supposed to have a singleton minor but why is yours in diamonds!” must be saved for the post mortem.

"Hooray for 6 card pre-empts"

It’s time to play to trick 1. You shut your eyes, call for the ace and when you open them, East has followed with a lowly club. No, it was not the 10 but at least it was a club! So, plan A.

We seem to have a spade, a diamond and two clubs to lose unless spades can set up for club discards. Yet Q needs to be with West and we are in danger of losing touch with dummy by having to ruff a diamond.

It seems it is time to draw trumps and hope “the rub” has started to work! At least trumps break 3-2, West being the one with three. East discards a low diamond. What now?

We know West has three hearts and six clubs. The odds of them having three spades are not only much reduced but were they to be 3-3 in the majors, their 3 pre-empt would be very ill advised. So, preserve your 10. Lead your 4…. and out pops the queen from West. You cover and East wins the ace. You are still alive...just!

Who has the AK?

The answer must be East as West has already shown us 8 high card points. East knows you know that and produces A and then K…but do you ruff that card? Let’s take a look at all four hands:

 

You have so far only lost two tricks( A and A) but you still have to lose two club tricks as you will have to ruff the fourth round of spades in the South hand. So, to make your contract, you must discard a club on the K.

What can East do? Play back a spade or play a third diamond or borrow a club from West! As the third option is not permitted, either of the other two will allow North’s remaining club to be discarded on the Q. You will lose just two diamonds and the     A.

Lucky? Certainly. West could have defeated your game by leading the Q at trick 1 but after starting with a high club, the contract was cold.

Part one in being successful was choosing the right shoulders to rub. Part two was taking advantage of your good fortune. Both parts were needed to make the 4 contract above.

Richard Solomon

p.s. maybe a little salt over your left shoulder will work as well if you cannot find the right shoulder to rub!  Just be careful who is behind you as you do not want to share your good luck or the salt! 

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