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  score.

 The Aim is for making Game.. for less experienced players and others

Well, you like to make overtricks especially if you are playing Pairs but number one rule whatever version of the game you are playing is to make the minimum number of tricks you need for your contract. The overtricks may flow later but if you can make your contract, that is your number one aim. With that in mind, take a look at the problem we left you with yesterday.

 

 

2was natural and game-forcing. South ended the auction quickly! West led 6. Plan the play.

Oh, there is one more piece of advice we could have given. Something about so many wrong cards are played by a declarer at trick 1. So, a bit of care needs to be exercised.

What happened

Our South was quite impressed with a very strong dummy and took their eyes off the ball just a little but “just a little” was the difference between a plus and minus score.

Without looking very closely at the opening lead, South took the diamond finesse at trick 1 with East producing K. However, East did not believe that you have to religiously return partner’s suit. With both black suits seemingly rather unattractive to the defence, two diamond holds in dummy and a declarer who discarded a small heart at trick 1 (defenders do notice!), East returned the 6.

Only then did South do a bit of counting tricks. They could score two diamond tricks and assuming the suit broke nicely, five club tricks. Add in the A and that came to 8 unless diamonds provided an extra trick.

Wisely, South ran the club suit since the chance of more than two diamond tricks was unlikely. Good news in the club suit. After the clubs were cashed, South tried a sneaky J intending to play K to reach dummy, if West played low.

 

 

However, West did not play low because they had seen their partner discard a couple of small spades on the run of the clubs. A was followed by K and a second heart ..with East taking two more heart tricks to beat the contract by one trick (three hearts, K and A).

What should have happened

South should have started counting to 9 tricks before they played from dummy at trick 1. At that point, the heart suit did not pose a threat to South. Assuming declarer could count on five club tricks, then five clubs, three spades and the two red aces would even provide an overtrick.

With many players leading 4^th highest from an honour and others just low promising an honour, it was hard for South to tell who had the K, though there were smaller diamonds West could have led if their lead was away from the king.

West had done well for the defence to give South a losing option in leading a diamond. Had clubs not broken well, then South might have done right to finesse (3 spades, 2 diamonds, 3 clubs and the A) though it is probably unwise bridge to play for a suit to break 4-1 (clubs) and in the process go down when the suit breaks normally (3-2). That is what happened. So, up with the A and test the clubs and when the news is good, just play on spades until the defence take their ace.

to dangers!

A trick one issue. An issue of not counting one’s tricks early enough. An issue of not anticipating the danger. Certainly, good defence by East-West but they should not have been given the opportunity.

Pre-emptive Problems

Well, only one problem really. It is your bid.

 

 

You are playing Pairs. Double is a normal take-out style double. What would you bid? Any different if you were playing Teams?

Richard Solomon

 

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