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Cunning!

Welcome to “Jan’s Day” where we will find the answer to the problem opening lead we left you with yesterday. The following Precision auction left you on lead as East:

 

1 is 16+ hcp any shape.

1 8+ hcp with 5+ hearts

2  sets hearts as trumps and sets a cue-bidding sequence in motion

2 shows first or second round control in spades

2NT is a waiting bid, allowing their partner to cue some more..

3 shows first or second round control in diamonds and denies first or second round control in clubs

Jan's Day

  Jan Cormack

“Deceptive Manoeuvres.

There have been many times that non-bridge players have asked me if bridge is anything like chess. Apart from the fact that both games involve sitting down, the differences are enormous. At chess, two players of equal standard will usually have a string of draws. In bridge, ties are a rarity and matches at all levels can produce sizeable margins.

Of course, bridge is a more complex game and so errors occur more frequently. But the singular and most obvious difference lies in the psychological factor which in chess is insignificant. Leading your opponents astray by bidding what you have not got, false-carding either on defence or play and many other deceptive manoeuvres can bring rich rewards.

The following two slam deals from a recent (in 1986) international tournament were both off the first two top minor tricks. However, both contracts made. On the first deal, the declarer bid 6 knowing she was missing the top two clubs!

 

South opened a 16+ any shape Precision 1. North responded 1 showing 5+ hearts and 8+hcps. 2 set hearts as trumps and invited cue-bids. 2 was a cue and 2NT was a waiting bid to see if North held first or second round club control. The answer was “no” and despite having two small clubs themselves, South bid 6!

 

Of course, East also received all this information and assessed that South must hold second round club control to justify the jump to 6. Therefore, they opted for the aggressive lead of 4. It was not a great time to believe what you did hear.

On the next deal, it was simply a matter of leaping to the six level and waiting anxiously for the opening lead and for dummy to appear. South held:

 

North’s double promised6- 8 hcp. South hoped that a diamond control was among those points. As hoped for, West led K.

 

6 making 12 tricks made your teammates very happy and your opponents very unhappy!”

Do not believe all you hear. The hard part is knowing which part is untrue.

For Less Experienced Players

Have you a plan?

 

 

Hope so. Your partner put down all those diamond cards but they were right not to penalise the opponents as they had lots of spades, too. Well, “right” as long as you make your 4 contract.

West leads A and it seems a good idea to ruff and win the trick. What, then, is your plan? Trumps break 2-1.

Richard Solomon

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