Have You Got the Pip (s)?

I commented yesterday that there is always a good mix of the spectacular deals and then the more bread and butter ones in every bridge competition. Today’s deal falls into the latter category but it was still very important to try to make 9 tricks.

Just about the whole Swiss Pairs field was in 3NT and just about everyone received the 2 lead.

 

The initial lead went to the SK from East and South’

The initial lead went to the K from East and South's A. What’s your plan for 9 tricks?

Of course, you might have 9 tricks on top. In a nice world, hearts will break 3-3 or the J will be doubleton and the diamond finesse will work. So, we could attack the red suits. The problem in going for hearts or diamonds is that with one slip (an opponent having Jxxx or where the diamond finesse fails), our contract is in danger. At some point, our opponents will attack the club suit and may be able to get three tricks from that suit which added to a certain spade trick and at least one red suit trick will add to at least one down! Not a good outcome.

So, although the red suits may lead us to 9 tricks, we do not, should not attack them yet. We cannot develop a trick in either red suit by losing one first. Let’s therefore look at the black suits. At least one top player won the opening spade lead as above and exited with a low club at trick 2, with the obvious intention of the defence attacking any other suit except clubs to declarer’s advantage. That may be a winning line.

However, there is only one suit where we might develop a second trick by losing the lead…and that is the suit led by West…spades. Did you notice those pips in dummy?

This board occurred in the Open Swiss Pairs, won by Susan and Denis Humphries. Susan won the spade lead as indicated above and played J at trick 2. Unless East was false carding, West held Q. So, Susan aimed to give her opponents as little information about which suit they should switch to as possible. If West failed to find a club switch when in with Q, then Susan could play a third spade losing to T and establish 9 in dummy as a certain second spade trick (2 spades + three hearts + two diamonds + A=8 tricks. Now, she would only need one red suit to behave and could attack hearts  before diamonds.)

As it happens, Susan had 9 tricks one round earlier, though neither red suit provided an extra trick.

 

The fall of S10 provided Susa

The fall of 10 provided Susan with three spade tricks and 9 in total. Even on the most challenging lead of a low club, declarer can duck twice and set up eventually set up the spade suit for three tricks. 

Despite most receiving the spade lead and the 10 being so favourably placed for a declarer, 14 out of 57 declarers failed to make 9 tricks in the Open Swiss Pairs, 6 out of 16 failed in the Restricted event and 9 out of 18 in the Intermediate Swiss Pairs. It would seem most who failed played their red suit winners too early.

Welcome back to our Panel for tomorrow’s problem.

 

What do we show?

 

 

1C promised at least three clubs and if balanced promised either a weak no-trump or 18-19.

1 promised at least three clubs and if balanced promised either a weak no-trump or 18-19. 

3 is a pre-emptive weak 4-card raise.

What now?

Richard Solomon

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