All News

Mishaps on Court and at the Table.

Observant readers will have noticed that this column, “Daily Hands” was missing for just about all of January and some of February. There was a couple of reasons why. One had something to do with a cancelled National Congress and then a hastily organised one on-line. Time was at a premium.

However, there was another reason.

That right hand! It should have stuck to holding cards rather than a tennis racket. It missed the ball (I take no blame for this!), knocked its owner out as he catapulted to the ground and fractured a few fingers in the process! Not a good look.

Indeed, with many an inquisitive “what happened?” as I played bridge one-handed (fortunately, unlike at tennis, I am predominantly left-handed), partner suggested the cause of the injury should be included as part of our system card!

Coming right…would be the answer now but it was not pretty for a while. Somehow, the bridge matched the mood. One of the finer deals while I was suffering with my hand was these couple of hands….

 

 

Everything was natural with 1NT showing 15-17. West led 2. When you are feeling on top of the world, you win with A, take a successful heart finesse and run five winning diamonds discarding a club and two spades, very kindly giving the defence a spade trick at the end…. or maybe take a successful club finesse at trick 1 and end up with all 13 tricks!

Dream on! You were wide awake enough to remember it was East who had bid clubs. Losing a club and two spade tricks could see a swift end to your contract if West held K, even swifter if East had honour x in spades and scored a ruff with their small trump.

Horrible thoughts! So, you were wide awake enough to remember the expert play. Well, it worked for them! Even non-experts could make 10 tricks if they rose with the A and played three rounds of diamonds discarding the club loser and both opponents held three diamonds.

Experts do better. Before they play diamonds, they call for the J from dummy with no intention of finessing. They will profit when East has to or chooses to cover with K and also when West (or maybe a wise East who does not cover) has doubleton K and doubleton diamond. As you discard your little club on the third round of diamonds, the defender ruffs with the K, a nice loser on loser play to pretty much guarantee 10 tricks.

So, with my unhindered left hand doing all the work, that was the line I chose. Up with A, J to the ace with both opponents following but no king appearing.

All according to plan as I played A and a small diamond….and then suddenly my fracture felt worse and worse and twenty times worse!

 

 

The second round of diamonds was ruffed but not with the K but with 8! Then, I detected with a slight degree of embarrassment (opponents do sometimes, maybe one time, I believe, show genuine sympathy for their opponents), West produced the K before switching to a spade.

Not just one down but there was still the K to come for down 2. ☹

Could I have done better? Could I what! Perhaps in the bidding I might have tried 3 to see if partner wanted to play 3NT. The thought crossed my mind but my holding in both black suits was not ideal. It would have more ideal had my partner been able to bid hearts first but not on this day.

It is small compensation that 4 is unmakeable if East keeps their mouth shut and West leads their singleton diamond or indeed if East on lead chooses  a diamond, maybe after cashing one high spade. West will gain the lead with K and the diamond ruff will be the fourth trick for the defence after two top spades are cashed. The club bid was a real “black” herring for the defence…except where the declarer opted not to finesse.

Would you have done better as declarer in 4? West did lead 2 but that could easily have been from J...and East did choose to bid clubs. Maybe I would have done better had I not missed the tennis ball.

Like my left-hand opponent, be sympathetic!

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items