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Jan’s Day: Smart Defence

Only a few days ago, we told you how Bridge is a game of mistakes, or of avoiding them. Today’s article is an exception, with the hand won by good inspired defence. Equally important with respect to the article is the reaction below by the declarer to his opposition.

 

 

2is a Weak 2 but may be a card suit, 5-9 hcp. All North’s bids except the last are relays, artificial.

South showed 4 diamonds (3) and 5143 shape (3NT) while the pass of 4x showed a minimum hand.

 

 You lead your club won in dummy. Declarer plays their 3 top hearts discarding two clubs from hand and then a low diamond from dummy to East’s 6 and South’s 7. Over to you.

 

Jan's Day

 
Jan Cormack

 

The Card West Cannot hold

“The instant dummy is exposed is the time to formulate some idea of the best chances to defeat the contract.

 

Even the slightest hesitation during the play of the hand can be very informative and may direct the declarer to the winning line.

 

For example, if you hold the ace over dummy’s KQT, you should decide whether you wish to take the king with the ace well before the suit is first played by the declarer. This will enable you to duck smoothly, leaving the whereabouts of the ace in doubt.

 

Sitting West, with the hand above, how would you defend against 6?You lead 3 and see dummy. South wins the first trick with dummy’s A and cashes three top hearts, discarding his club losers.

 

A low diamond follows from dummy with declarer playing 7 after your partner plays 6. You now have had plenty of time to plan your defence. Which card do you play?

 

The international player sitting West smoothly played K which won. Then, he returned a spade into declarer’s suit. Of course, South then placed J with East.

 

South could have made his contract by rising with A and leading a low diamond towards the queen, preparing to finesse 9 but naturally, he won the spade in hand and led a low diamond to the ace. Here are the four hands:

 

 

 

If West wins the first trump with J, declarer can reach his hand with a heart ruff no matter what West returns. He picks up the trump suit, finessing through West again and is able to run the spades by finessing once through East.

 

At the end of the hand, the declarer turned to West and congratulated him on his clever defence.”

 

For Less Experienced Players…and others!

 

It’s A Nightmare!

 

 

 

No, I did not make this hand up. It happened, very recently! What to do? Let partner stew in 3NT?

See you tomorrow.

Richard Solomon

 

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