Article Collection 7A49 by Richard Pavlicek
Article Collection 7A49 by Richard Pavlicek
When in Doubt…
The bidding illustrates one of my favorite conventions: one notrump forcing over a major. Accordingly, South was forced to bid a three-card club suit, since 2 
would show six hearts and 2 
would be a reverse showing greater strength. North then made a jump preference to invite game, and South accepted.
4 by South
None Vul | 8 3 A 9 2 J 10 5 2 K Q 10 3 | |
| A Q 9 6 J 10 8 K 7 6 4 9 2 | ![[W - E]](t.gif) | J 7 5 Q 6 Q 9 8 3 8 7 6 5 |
| Lead: J | K 10 4 2 K 7 5 4 3 A A J 4 |
| West Pass Pass | North 1 NT 3 | East Pass Pass Pass | South 1 2 4 |
Assuming a normal trump break, declarer can be sure of nine tricks: four hearts, one diamond and four clubs. The spade suit offered a reasonable chance for 10, either by winning the king or a ruff in dummy (or both), so declarer won the A and led a spade to the king. Too bad. Mabel won the ace and accurately led a second trump to the queen and king.
Declarer next ran clubs (pitching a spade), but Mabel refused to ruff with her master trump. Eventually, a spade was led, and Mabel was able to win and draw dummy’s last trump to defeat the contract.
Despite the fine defense, declarer overlooked a direct route to 10 tricks. Instead of trying for a ruff in dummy, the same extra trick can be gained by three ruffs in hand. And the nice part is that it requires no luck in spades. Win the K; cash the A; A; diamond ruff; A; K; diamond ruff; and finish the clubs. West must refuse to ruff as before (else it’s easy); then ruff the last diamond with your last trump to ensure the game.
Moysian Slam
A few enterprising bidders reached 6 in the 4-3 fit — called a “Moysian fit” after the late Alphonse Moyse, who wrote many articles about the merits of these contracts. I uphold this philosophy and applaud North’s decision to raise spades with such strong trumps, albeit only three. South didn’t see any point in Blackwood and simply bid what he thought he could make.
6 by South
| None Vul | K Q 10 A K 6 5 4 Q 5 9 5 4 | |
| 9 8 7 2 Q 10 2 J 9 8 7 6 10 | | 6 4 J 9 8 3 10 3 Q J 8 7 6 |
| Lead: 10 | A J 5 3 7 A K 4 2 A K 3 2 |
| West Pass | North 1 2 | East Pass Pass | South 1 6 |
Declarer counted 11 top tricks, and the best chance for 12 seemed to be a ruff in dummy. (Clubs could not be breaking because West’s lead was clearly a singleton or doubleton.) After winning the K, declarer crossed to the Q and back to the A; then came a diamond ruff in dummy as East pitched a club.
Declarer next cashed the K-Q. Alas, there was no way to reach the South hand to draw West’s trumps; a club would be ruffed, and a heart ruff would fatally shorten South’s trumps. It also would not have helped to overtake the Q with the ace. Down one.
A better plan would be a dummy reversal. Win the K and cash A-K, pitching a club; ruff a heart high (just in case); spade to dummy; ruff a heart high; spade to dummy; and draw another trump, pitching a club. Even though trumps fail to split, you’re still in clover. Just lead the good heart and pitch a diamond as West ruffs; then claim the rest with all winners. Magic.
To Finesse or Not?
This deal contributed heavily to their final-day win. In the closed room, the Russians bid accurately to 6 and made seven after a spade lead. The same contract was reached in the open room, but Balicki (West) drew the right inferences from the North-South bidding and found the killing club lead.
6 by South
| None Vul | K 2 A J 6 4 3 A Q 6 5 7 3 | |
| Q J 8 4 10 9 7 K 7 3 Q 9 5 | | 10 7 6 3 Q 8 5 2 — K 10 8 6 2 |
| Lead: 5 | A 9 5 K J 10 9 8 4 2 A J 4 |
| West Pass Pass Pass Pass | North 1 3 4 5 | East Pass Pass Pass Pass | South 2 3 NT 4 6 |
What was so “killing” about the club lead, you ask? Making 6 is easy with any lead, and seven is always cold by establishing the fifth heart. Unfortunately, this is because you can see all four hands.
Declarer, Sam Lev of NYC, won East’s K with the ace, and immediately cashed the K. Dummy was entered with a spade to cash the A (pitching a club), then a heart was ruffed. Next came the J, ducked of course by Balicki. Would you have taken the finesse? If so, you’d be lucky — but it’s a technical error.
Lev knew that if diamonds split normally (2-1) he could succeed anytime East held the K or anytime West held the Q (barring an unlikely overruff on the third round of spades) by establishing the fifth heart. This offered better odds than a 50-50 finesse, so he won the A. Alas, the expert play meant down one.
Ruff Day at Work
After a routine opening and takeout double, South’s jump to 2 was weak — a common practice in competition. North felt that game was a good bet with his exceptional fit, so he jumped directly to 4 . East felt otherwise and stated his opinion with a final double.
West led a club to the ace, then East promptly shifted to the A and Q to South’s king. Before reading further, decide how you would play from there.
4 x by South
| None Vul | 10 9 3 A K 5 A K Q J 5 4 K | |
| 8 7 5 4 — 10 8 7 2 10 9 5 3 2 | | A Q J 6 Q 6 4 2 9 A Q J 4 |
| Lead: 3 | K 2 J 10 9 8 7 3 6 3 8 7 6 |
| West Pass | North 1 4 | East Dbl Dbl | South 2 All Pass |
Declarer was in good shape with anything but the worst breaks, so he next led the J. Not surprisingly, West showed out, and dummy’s king was taken. The only hope now was that East had two diamonds, so the A-K were led. Oops. East ruffed the second, and he still had to make the Q. Down one.
The winning play is not completely obvious but highly indicated from the bidding and final double. After winning the K, declarer should lead a club and ruff high in dummy; next ruff a spade, then lead the last club and ruff high again. Careful! Cash one diamond; then lead the 5. East is helpless to win more than the Q. Note the need to cash one diamond, else East could lead the 9 and lock you in dummy.
Curiously, there is a way for the defense to prevail against any play by declarer. After winning the A, East must shift to a low trump. This seems counterintuitive looking at dummy’s powerful diamonds, yet declarer cannot overcome the obstacles. If you don’t mind an exercise in frustration, try it.
[Addendum: This deal inspired Problem 4 in my February 2003 contest Have Cards, Will Double.]
Fateful Discard
My jump raise to 3 was weak (inverted minors) though ineffectual as our opponents easily reached the normal game in hearts. I led the 3 (lowest from an odd number) to the queen and ace, and declarer considered his options.
| N-S Vul | A Q 9 8 6 8 7 6 7 4 A J 10 | |
| 5 3 J 5 10 8 6 5 3 K 9 5 2 | | J 10 4 2 A 9 3 K Q 9 2 Q 7 |
| Lead: 3 | K 7 K Q 10 4 2 A J 8 6 4 3 |
| West Pass 3 | North Pass 4 | East 1 All Pass | South 1 |
Tempted by the chance of a quick discard, declarer immediately led three rounds of spades, pitching the J as I ruffed with the 5. It was obvious we had no diamond trick coming, so I shifted to a club, ducked to the queen. Rich next led his last spade (a slight error as declarer could succeed at double-dummy, while a club return would seal his fate) forcing South to ruff high; then the J was finessed to lead a heart to the queen, dropping my jack. Rich now had to make a second trump trick with his nine; down one.
Declarer was enamored by the discard opportunity and in pursuing it opened a floodgate for his own demise. Since a 3-3 spade break is against the odds, proper technique is to resign yourself to a diamond loser: Win the second diamond (holding up is slightly better); finesse clubs twice, and use dummy’s entries to lead toward the K-Q twice. Only a heart, diamond and club need be lost.
Close but No Cigar
I was South on this deal from the quarterfinal and chose to make a light opening bid of 1 (the 10-9 tipped the scales). My partner bid 2 NT (natural, 15+) then showed a spade preference over my 3 , leading to the normal game in spades.
| K Q 10 A 5 3 A Q 10 9 5 4 3 | |
| J 8 6 2 8 6 K 8 7 5 4 Q J | | 3 K J 10 9 7 J 6 3 K 8 7 6 |
| Lead: 4 | A 9 7 5 4 Q 4 2 2 A 10 9 2 |
| West Pass Pass All Pass | North 2 NT 3 | East Pass Pass | South 1 3 4 |
My first problem came at trick one, and I decided West was likely to lead from the K; plus I might need the trick if the K were wrong. I finessed the queen. Whew! Now my chances were excellent and, by playing along dummy-reversal lines, I did not need favorable breaks in the black suits.
Next came the A (heart pitch); diamond ruff; A; A; diamond ruff (East pitched a heart); then I exited with the Q to East. Now left with K-Q-10 opposite A-9-7, I needed only to ruff successfully with the 9 or 10. On the heart return, I decided to take my shot immediately as there was an additional chance that West might have to follow suit with the missing heart. Darn! West overruffed with the J; down one. Had I ruffed with the A, I would have made it.
The same contract was reached at the other table by North (my hand passed and then transferred to spades after a 1 NT opening). My teammate Marty Fleischer found a club lead, after which declarer was down one with routine play. Just another push.
Tenuous Trump Tale
As South, what would you do over 4 ? The cowardly route is to pass (4 is down one with accurate defense); but with 6-5 shape it feels right to bid something. Both Souths concluded that 4 was a better guess than 5 , so the tenuous game was reached.
4 by South
| Both Vul | A K 5 K 6 3 K 10 8 7 5 4 3 | |
| 9 7 A K 8 7 6 4 3 10 Q 9 2 | | Q 8 6 4 Q J 10 2 Q 9 4 A 6 |
| Lead: K | J 10 5 3 2 9 A J 8 7 5 2 J |
| West 3 All Pass | North 4 | East 4 | South 4 |
Both West players led the K, but then the play diverged. At one table, East signaled with the 10 and West continued hearts. Declarer ruffed in dummy (pitching the J) and cashed the A. The contract could now be made with a first-round diamond finesse, but declarer crossed to the A and led the J to force out the queen. Declarer was tapped with another heart, and when the smoke cleared he was down three.
At the other table, East signaled with the 2 at trick one, and West shifted to a club. Alas, East thought this was a singleton, so he won the ace and returned a club. Declarer accepted the free finesse (thank you), cashed the A-K, crossed to the A and forced out the Q. The only way East could kill dummy’s clubs was to return the Q, but this surrenders the whole diamond suit. Making 4 for a 14-IMP swing.
It is curious that neither West shifted to the singleton diamond at trick two, but this would be ineffective, too. Declarer wins the K (best to avoid guessing the diamond break when leading from dummy), unblocks the A-K, finesses the J and drives out the Q; making easily.
The club shift is the only defense that works legitimately; however, after winning the A, East must revert to hearts. Declarer takes the tap in hand to have any chance, but now he cannot draw trumps without losing control; down one at least.
A Chess Game; but 6-4 shape is like a road sign to bid aggressively. All it takes is a few right cards in partner’s hand; so take a chance and bid game. Alas, South did not back up his judgment in the play.
4 by South
| None Vul | 9 8 5 K Q J 10 3 J 10 8 4 3 | |
| A K 10 7 3 6 5 Q 4 K 9 7 5 | | J 6 2 7 4 3 J 9 8 2 A Q 2 |
| Lead: K | Q 4 A 9 8 2 A K 10 7 6 5 6 |
| West 1 All Pass | North Dbl | East Pass 2 | South 1 4 |
West began with three rounds of spades, ruffed with the 2. In order to combine chances of a crossruff and establishing the diamond suit, declarer cashed both top diamonds (pitching a club) and ruffed a diamond. Next came a club, and East alertly won the ace and returned a trump. This was a killer, as a continued crossruff would now fall short, and declarer lacks the communication to establish and enjoy the long diamonds. So close, yet so far.
As you may have spotted, declarer was too anxious. The proper play is to pitch a club at trick three. By postponing the tap, declarer keeps both his chances alive: If a trump is led, declarer can establish diamonds ( A-K, diamond ruff, club ruff, diamond ruff, then overtake K and draw the last trump). If the defense leads anything else, declarer has a complete crossruff after cashing A-K.
In many respects, bridge is like a game of chess. Taking the early spade ruff is like bringing your queen into play too soon. Instead, declarer must develop his minor pieces — move that little club out of the way — to avoid a premature commitment. This kind of positional play often forces an opponent to commit first, then the attack can be sprung successfully.
Let Them Eat Clubs! opening, I overcalled 1 mainly as a lead-director, comforted by the vulnerability. Alas, its only effect was to steer the opponents away from a doomed 3 NT into a successful 4 . North’s negative double showed both minors, and the subsequent 2 was an all-purpose cue-bid asking for more information. Oh well; at least I told myself what to lead.
4 by South
| N-S Vul | 6 4 2 7 A J 7 3 A Q J 9 2 | |
| K Q J 9 K 4 2 10 8 4 10 6 4 | | 10 8 5 Q 6 3 K Q 6 2 7 5 3 |
| Lead: K | A 7 3 A J 10 9 8 5 9 5 K 8 |
| West 1 Pass Pass | North Dbl 2 4 | East Pass Pass All Pass | South 1 2 3 |
Declarer won the A and immediately cashed three rounds of clubs to pitch a spade. He then pursued my title line and led a fourth club to pitch his last spade; East pitched a diamond and I ruffed. It was evident that no spades were cashing, so I switched to a diamond; but declarer took the A and led the last club to pitch his diamond. Well played!
The club leads were powerful fodder, as it makes no difference who ruffs either one. If one defender ruffs twice, the A drops his honor and only one more trump is lost. If each defender ruffs once, the missing honors fall together. Either way, declarer loses just three trump tricks and makes the contract.
Do you see how 4 can be defeated? It takes an original diamond lead, which removes a crucial entry to dummy, thus preventing the double ditch on clubs. Indeed, declarer might even go down three by ducking the lead and later finessing the J in desperation. Sigh. I should have known that being dealt a lead like K-Q-J was too good to be true.
I noticed another curious fact about this deal, and it’s right out of Ripley: With best defense, the only game North-South can make is in spades, believe it or not. Declarer has six top tricks and four more are available on a crossruff, even after a trump lead. Wow. This doesn’t say much for my 1 bid either — 800 the hard way if South only knew to pass the negative double. Crazy game, bridge.
Never Give Up! opening, North could picture a likely a slam, but investigation was needed; 2 followed by 3 was game-forcing. When South showed club control, North used Roman key-card Blackwood, and 5 showed two key cards without the Q. This meant a probable trump loser in spades, so North bid 6 to suggest an alternate strain. Alas, South didn’t want any part of that contract and corrected to 6 .
6 by South
| Both Vul | A 9 5 A K J 10 9 8 A 10 5 4 | |
| Q 10 8 6 7 2 10 7 4 2 J 9 2 | | J Q 6 5 4 3 9 6 5 K 8 6 3 |
| Lead: 7 | K 7 4 3 2 — K Q J 8 3 A Q 7 |
| West Pass Pass Pass Pass All Pass | North 2 3 4 NT 6 | East Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass | South 1 3 4 5 6 |
West led the 7, and declarer took advantage of the free finesse: jack, queen, ruff. Next came the K, dropping an ominous jack on his right, then a spade to the ace as West split his honors. West now held Q-8, and North the blank nine, so two trump losers seemed inevitable and declarer conceded down one. Oops. He should have played on.
When the bad trump break is revealed, there is still a good chance. Cash a heart to pitch a club, then take the club finesse and cash the A. Cross to the A and ruff a club, which leaves dummy with 9 K-10-9-8 facing 7 K-Q-J-8. Now just lead good diamonds, and all West can win is the Q.
The play brings out another interesting aspect at the highest level. West also might have foreseen the ending and not split his spade honors. Should South finesse the nine? Sure, you say, looking at all four hands; but if it lost to a doubleton honor, you might be set by a heart ruff (a singleton heart is not so far-fetched considering the lead). Indeed, most players would win the ace, figuring that West would always split with Q-10-8.
The moral: Never underestimate the power of the trump suit.
Copyright © 2004 Richard Pavlicek. All rights reserved.