Through The Slips

8th November – Board 11: Love All. Dealer South.

Strangely enough the total number of tricks available to both the declaring side and the defenders doesn’t always add up to 13 and the hand below was a case in point where declarer can easily come to ten tricks in a spade contract if the defenders do not take their four top tricks.

Maybe that 3NT bid is a bit on the aggressive side but it is the call that most bridge players would make without a second thought and naturally West would remove to the spade game. Curiously the game was made more often than not when North wheeled out three rounds of diamonds from the top in the expectancy that perhaps partner could ruff the third round, although that would never happen. Why? Well if South had started with a doubleton diamond he would have played high-low on the first two rounds of the suit so the initial card played – the 2 – was either a singleton or the lowest from three cards. However when he plays to the second diamond lead he has a choice of plays, and that should give the clue to the winning defence. With a preference for a heart switch he should play the higher of his two remaining cards, the jack, and with preference for clubs – as is the case – he should play the six. High card for high suit, low card for low suit. All this has to be done in tempo of course and not with deliberation and a stony glare at partner just to make sure the message has got through. Obviously without that club switch declarer can pitch a losing club from dummy on the fourth round of hearts after drawing trumps.