All News

“IF”  

So, what do you do when dummy appears which is some two or three tricks short of what you anticipated, or hoped for rendering your contract next to impossible? Thanking partner is of course, the polite thing. No need to go over the top saying what a great dummy it is. No-one believes you, least of all your partner.

You are allowed one second’s pity, certainly too short for blame allocation. Then, it’s down to making the best of a very bad job. Like the following:

 

So, what's to be done? Oh , they have led 8. You are not down yet!

Can the post-mortem be a happy one?

 To find fault, find a mirror!

 

If you were into blame apportionment, then as South, you could look no further than your second bid, totally ignoring your diamond suit. Many would (wisely) play 2 as a one-round force, and that would be the only way to unearth a diamond fit. It would also have allowed North here to bid 3 and South to close out the auction in 3NT. However, we have no time for such analysis. We have to make the best of 6.

"The best" is certainly to make the contract. Can we? Really! A few seconds’ thought would produce a very unlikely answer because although there is a certain trump loser, there need only be one if the trump finesse works and the suit breaks 3-3.

Thus, let’s presume that is the lay out. Then:

• We need the diamond finesse to work.
• We need the club finesse to work. Oh, remember that the 8 has been led at trick 1. We have two little diamonds in the South hand to dispose on clubs.

That’s all. 3 finesses working and trumps breaking 3-3. How long did it take you to work that out?

So, one final question. When did you last play a board with four good and no bad things happen? Perhaps not so long ago though we tend to forget the good breaks!

You have not got the time, either, to work out that the chances of all those things happening is around a paltry 4%. Not great odds. Yet, have you any better ideas? The fifth piece of good luck needed for this slam to make had already happened and that was a club lead. No other lead would give South any chance as there would only be one discard available on the club suit.

Play to trick 1..finally!

So, off you go. Not true as these were the four hands:

 

You start of with the club finesse and will feel mildly happy as it works! One diamond is discarded. No need to cash A yet but set to work on trumps. A second successful finesse is followed by A and then a low heart, with the suit breaking evenly. Wow!

East will probably exit a diamond. You have no choice but to take finesse number 4 and rush off immediately to the Lotto shop when your Q scores. All that remains is to cross to A , discard the remaining diamond loser on the A and claim the remaining tricks.

A pretty undeserved result after the bidding which preceded it but a reward for a positive “never give up” attitude. Always make the best of what you have, whether that is conceding as few undertricks as possible or maybe finding a slim line to make your contract.

This board, this bidding, this lead did occur very recently but the declarer lost focus and lost the contract and a huge result when they ruffed a diamond in dummy though they really lost it at trick 1 by failing to finesse on the club lead.

It should have been….

 

What of the opening lead? Poor West had little idea what was right and so thought they would put South under pressure at trick 1 by leading through dummy’s strength. Sometimes, that plan pays off and it did actually pay off this time although it should not have done. As you can see, only a club lead allows a club finesse and two entries to dummy, all needed for the unlikely success of this contract.

5 failed at the other table when the declarer there misplayed trumps. Never presume you are certainly going to lose a board or get a bad result, no matter how bad your prospects look.

Looking for Trick Number 10?

 

5 spade and 5 diamond tricks would have added up to 10 tricks and a very straightforward contract. However, after ruffing the opening K lead, the declarer laid down two high spades. Both opponents followed suit but neither of them obliged by playing Q.

4 spade and 5 diamond tricks add up to 9 tricks. Where to find the 10^th? That is the question and West is more likely to hold A because of their overcall.

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items