Thursday Bridge Club: Plan The Play

8th September – Board 7: Game All. Dealer South.

Guest Blogger: Nick

When this was played at our table, it seemed like it would be a pretty flat board. We were all surprised to see that at least twice 3NT had gone down. This perhaps illustrates the importance of planning the play as declarer.

South	West	North	East
1H	No	2D	No
2H	No	3NT	End

At our table, S5 was led to trick one. Declarer has 8 top tricks, S A, K, H A, D A, K, Q and C A, K, and has two potential sources of a ninth trick – diamonds or hearts. Diamonds will give the crucial ninth trick if they break no worse than 4-1 (and will give a tenth trick if they break 3-2). To gather an extra trick in hearts, the plan would be to finesse twice, hoping that East holds King or Queen of hearts to two or three (in which case declarer will make 12 tricks, and bemoan that he is not in slam). Declarer can afford to lose the lead once, at which point the opponents will clear the spades, and then may have enough spades to cash to get him down. How to choose which line to follow? Can declarer combine his chances and avoid putting all his eggs in one basket? If he comes to hand with a diamond at trick 2, one of his questions will be answered. If both opponents follow, then he can play on diamonds for his ninth trick (he doesn’t need to make 12 tricks, 9 is the target) - just play out three more rounds of diamonds, losing the fourth round to East’s jack, but securing the 9th trick with his fifth diamond. If West shows out on the first diamond, it means that diamonds are no good for declarer and he can try the hearts by finessing twice.

Some observations:
If you exchange the diamond 9 and 7 in the north and south hands respectively, declarer can overcome a 5-0 diamond split if East has the void - he should therefore play the diamonds by first cashing the queen in dummy, because if East shows out, he can finesse twice against West’s J,10, and force the 9th trick in that way. And there’s nothing the defence can do to stop him!! However, this doesn’t work with the current diamond pips, and declarer may need DQ as an entry to dummy, so he should start with a low diamond to the King or Ace.

It's not all about declarer - as West, did you think to play your SJ under the Ace at trick one, to unblock the suit – if you didn’t, then declarer can get home even if diamonds are 5-0 with East – losing just three hearts and a spade.

The only really impossible situation is if diamonds split 5-0 with East, and West holds the heart honours, and unblocks the spade – in which case there is nothing much to do, other than rail against fate!!

I know that sometimes in pairs, if things aren’t going well, you may try to ‘shoot the moon’ going for 12 tricks and a ‘top’, rather than just securing your contract – but such strategies are probably well beyond all of us on a Thursday night – I for one am just glad when I make the contract (my partner is both glad and surprised!!)

7 comments:

Robin10 September 2011 at 21:54
As North I bid 1S as my first response (3D for my second bid) and that was probably a mistake. I thought I should in case there we had a spade fit, but on reflection perhaps I was strong enough to bid 2D first and then 2S second time around after a 2H rebid? This meant the contract was played by South instead of North. Would that have had an effect on the result (1 down)? Looking at the whole deal, hopefully not, since even with a club lead declarer can win and play on diamonds.
Old Bill11 September 2011 at 14:03
After I bid 3NT as North, my partner agonized over whether to go back into 4H. Even with the bad trump distribution, 4H looks like a safe contract (except maybe against a 5-0 heart split) with a better score. With hindsight I can see no excuse for NOT being in 4H. Yet the results suggest that no one bid and made it! Is it as safe as it seems? Is there any good reason for NOT bidding 4H?
Robin11 September 2011 at 15:21
OB,

How would you have got to 4H? Was the bidding as shown and then you would bid 4H over that? If so why would you assume partner had 6 hearts? Or was 3H bid at your table?

1KinOB
Old Bill12 September 2011 at 22:07
Look ... As North, I bid to 3NT as shown. My partner, as South, and with 6 hearts, is the one who then pondered going onto 4H ...

Sky Walker ;)
Robin12 September 2011 at 22:14
Very very funny OB, I'm still laughing at 'Look',

I just wondered how R2D2 as South would assume you had 2 hearts in your hand? Or did she just use the force?

DV.
Old Bill12 September 2011 at 23:56
My partner, she wondered, if less than two hearts I held, stranded her hearts could become unless truly trumps they were.

YD
Robin13 September 2011 at 08:42
YD,

Do not fear a blocked suit. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate and hate leads to suffering.

“Save entries, we must. They are our last hope.”

Wookie.

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