Article Collection 7A51 by Richard Pavlicek
Article Collection 7A51 by Richard Pavlicek
Misfit Troubles
6 NT by South
None Vul |  3 2 K A K 8 7 3 A K Q 4 3 | |
| 10 9 8 7 J 9 8 7 5 Q 10 5 2 | ![[W - E]](t.gif) | Q 6 5 10 J 9 6 4 J 8 7 6 5 |
| Lead: 10 | A K J 4 A Q 6 4 3 2 2 10 9 |
| West Pass Pass Pass | North 1 3 4 5 | East Pass Pass Pass Pass | South 1 3 4 NT 6 NT |
Declarer won the spade lead and immediately led a heart to unblock the suit. After a little thought, he next led a low club from dummy and East grabbed the jack. Everything would be fine if East routinely returned a spade, but East cleverly shifted to a diamond. Now declarer could not untangle his tricks (the club suit was blocked) and the contract had to fail.
Declarer was unlucky, but he should have done his “little thought” a trick earlier. There is a foolproof play to succeed against any lie of the cards: Lead the 10 at trick two and let it ride. The need to unblock the hearts immediately is an illusion because the 9 will provide an additional entry if the club finesse loses.
When East wins the J there is no winning defense. If East returns a spade, South wins; heart to the king; club to the nine; cash South’s winners, then a diamond and dummy is good. If East instead returns a diamond, North wins; club to the nine; heart to the king; cash North’s winners, then a spade and South is high.
Curiously, an original heart or diamond lead would defeat the slam no matter how declarer played.
Delicate Decisions opening, West made a light 2 overcall (vulnerable too) and my son Rich bid 2 (forcing). In competition this does not promise another bid, so with my ‘tweener I had to choose between a conservative 2 or 2 NT, and an aggressive jump. Forever an optimist, I tried 3 NT; then Rich corrected to 4 with his undisclosed fit.
4 by South
| E-W Vul | J 7 2 A 10 9 6 5 9 3 A Q 3 | |
| Q J 7 3 A J 10 8 4 2 J 6 4 | | 10 9 4 K 8 4 6 5 K 10 9 8 2 |
| Lead: 4 | A K 8 6 5 3 Q 2 K Q 7 7 5 |
| West 2 Pass | North 2 4 | East Pass All Pass | South 1 3 NT |
West found the best lead of a club and I finessed the queen, which seemed a good bet on the bidding. Not. East won and returned the 6 to the king, ace; then West led the J to my queen. I next cashed the A. Good news! The queen fell, but this also meant I could not ruff my diamond without losing a trump trick.
I considered my options: One was to win the A and run all my trumps, reducing to Q-2 7; then if West had K-x left, I could throw him in with the 7. But I didn’t trust this West to have his bid, so I decided to try Plan B, running the Q to East. (This would also work if West held the K and East the J.) East returned a club to remove dummy’s entry, then I ruffed a club. West’s shape appeared to be 1=3=6=3, so I established the heart suit with a ruff; making four.
Did you notice how the contract could be defeated? West must duck my K; then when East wins the K, another diamond would be fatal whether I drew trumps or not. At double-dummy, 4 can be made only by ducking the original club lead. Hmm. I’ll remember that the next time I play against this West maniac.
Foresight on DefenseThis deal from the Toronto Nationals in 1992 is a case in point. Bill was West and I was East, and our opponents bid routinely to game as shown.
4 by South
| E-W Vul | Q 9 3 2 Q 10 9 2 A K 4 10 4 | |
| A 7 5 4 3 10 7 5 K Q J 9 5 | | J 10 8 7 6 Q 9 8 2 8 7 6 2 |
| Lead: K | K 6 5 4 A K J 8 J 6 3 A 3 |
| West Pass Pass | North 2 4 | East Pass All Pass | South 1 NT 2 |
Bill led the K to declarer’s ace as I played the seven (our practice was to show count in this situation). Two rounds of trumps revealed the 4-1 break as I pitched a club. Declarer next led a low spade to Bill’s blank ace and I played the eight (also count). As West, what would you do now?
Almost in straight tempo, Bill shifted to a diamond. Beautiful! This was essential to defeat the contract. If he had cashed his club trick as most defenders would (or led a heart), declarer could succeed by an eventual endplay against me. The thoughtful diamond shift allowed Bill to regain the lead in clubs to lead a second diamond to foil any attempt by declarer. Now that’s what I call a great partner.
[Addendum: This deal was incorporated with five others in the quiz Root for the Home Team.]
Third Hand Low
4 by South
| N-S Vul | 7 6 A 9 7 3 A 10 9 8 7 2 J | |
| Q 9 8 5 3 2 10 8 3 A Q 10 9 | | K J K 6 4 Q J 5 4 8 6 5 4 |
| Lead: 3 | A 10 4 Q J 5 2 K 6 K 7 3 2 |
| West 1 2 | North Dbl 4 | East Rdbl All Pass | South 1 2 |
West led his singleton diamond. At one table, East played the J to force the king, then declarer cleared trumps quickly with the ace and another. It made no difference now, but East ducked, allowing the queen to win. It was then a simple matter to cross to the A and establish the suit with a ruffing finesse — 11 tricks were made.
At the other table, Jeff Meckstroth was East; but he did not cover the diamond, allowing dummy to win the 10. If declarer now clears trumps, East can win the K and lead a third trump while diamonds are hopelessly blocked. Realizing this, declarer led a second diamond immediately, ruffed by West; then a spade shift scuttled the contract. A closer look reveals that East’s duck was a killing play; there is no way for declarer to succeed.
One of the bridge adages players are taught is “third hand high,” as it is usually right to force declarer to waste a high card. The key word, of course, is “usually”; Meckstroth knows all the exceptions.
Reverse Geometry
On this deal South reached an aggressive 4 . Two notrump was an artificial game try (asking), and North elected to show values in diamonds (showing heart values would have worked better) which caused South to be optimistic. West led a low trump.
| None Vul | A 9 8 7 K J 4 K J 10 6 5 4 | |
| J 10 5 A Q 10 7 2 7 5 3 K J | | 2 9 6 5 3 Q 10 8 2 A Q 8 2 |
| Lead: 5 | K Q 6 4 3 8 A 9 6 4 9 7 3 |
| West Pass Pass All Pass | North 1 2 3 | East Pass Pass Pass | South 1 2 NT 4 |
The straightforward play is to lead the singleton heart early. Alas, West would win the ace and realize the need to shift. Out comes the K — down one.
Instead, declarer took an indirect approach, attacking the suit the opponents should be leading. When the 9 held in dummy, he led a club. East hopped with the ace; then a second club went to West’s king, and a spade was returned to South’s king. Next came the singleton heart, won by the ace, and a third trump went to dummy’s ace. The K was cashed to pitch a club.
Despite avoiding three fast club losers, declarer was still a trick short; but when the J was ruffed in hand, East was squeezed. If he pitched a diamond, three rounds of diamonds establish South’s nine. If he pitched a club, declarer would cross to the K, then a club ruff establishes the 10.
Which defender was the culprit? Some might say East for winning the A, but this was a reasonable play (South might have held a stiff king). Actually, West gets the charge. After winning the K, he should shift to a diamond; then another diamond after winning the A breaks up the squeeze. Declarer’s only hope now is a crossruff, but this fails because of West’s trump holding. Try it.
Low from Dummy
The bidding was highly competitive — some might say egregious, but that’s often the norm in tournament bridge. East made a light takeout double of the spade raise, South bid 3 preemptively, and West was not going to be shut out. Four hearts would have failed by at least two tricks, but North succumbed to the tempo and bid 4 . West finally doubled, perhaps the most sensible call of the auction.
4 x by South
| None Vul | Q 9 8 6 A 6 Q J 10 3 10 3 2 | |
| K 5 2 K Q J 10 9 5 2 7 6 4 | | 7 7 5 3 2 A K 7 6 4 Q J 9 |
| Lead: K | A J 10 4 3 9 8 4 8 A K 8 5 |
| West Pass 4 Dbl | North 2 4 All Pass | East Dbl Pass | South 1 3 Pass |
Declarer won the A, and with the spade finesse destined to lose from West’s double, chances were bleak. The only hope (aside from Q-J doubleton) was to develop dummy’s diamond suit for two discards. Leading a diamond honor could never achieve this, so declarer led a sneaky diamond three at trick two. Can you really blame East for winning the king? Imagine how silly he would look if he ducked and South won the nine.
East returned the Q, won by South; then a low spade was led to dummy’s eight (it wouldn’t matter if West hopped with the king). Next came the Q, and the ace was ruffed out. Declarer then cashed the A and gave up a heart, and both losing clubs soon went away on the diamonds. Well done, Mabel!
Did I earn some nice dinners this month, or what?
Nine Ever, Eight NeverIn a spirited auction, North’s final raise to 3 NT was well-judged with his strong diamond suit. On a good day partner would have a trick in each major, and diamonds would run for nine tricks. Alas, this was not such a good day, at least in the diamond department.
3 NT by South
| None Vul | 8 4 J A K J 10 8 7 A 7 5 3 | |
| A Q 7 6 2 A Q 9 8 6 6 4 10 | | 10 9 5 10 7 4 3 Q 5 3 Q 9 2 |
| Lead: 8 | K J 3 K 5 2 9 2 K J 8 6 4 |
| West 1 3 | North 2 3 NT | East Pass All Pass | South 2 NT |
Declarer got some good news at trick one when dummy’s J held, allowing the king to breathe for a while. The tenuous stoppers in the majors made one thing clear: Don’t lose the lead to East! Accordingly, declarer won the A and led a club to the jack, eschewing the nine-never rule for safety. It worked!
Declarer next led a diamond to the king (no miracles) then ran the rest of the clubs. West discarded well, pitching three spades and a heart, so he was able to follow suit when South next led a diamond. Eight ever? Not this time!
Winning the A provided a virtual lock. Left with K-J-3 K-5, declarer led a spade to the jack and queen. West was now forced to give declarer his ninth trick. Even in the unlikely event West had Q-x-x, the endplay would still work.
So there you have it, folks: Nine clubs — take a finesse. Eight diamonds — play for the drop. Go figure.
Two-Bid or Zoo-Bid? — not exactly everyone’s idea of a weak two-bid; but with a singleton spade and favorable vulnerability at matchpoints, it’s a winning tactic. The biggest downside is having to bear the chuckles if you put down the hand as dummy.
After South’s 2 overcall, I bid 2 NT (forcing) to try for game. Had North passed, Rich would bid 3 (artificial) to show exactly five hearts, a pet convention of mine; then we’d probably stop in 3 . When North’s 3 was passed around, it seemed the opponents had overstepped their bounds so I doubled. I couldn’t be sure of setting 3 ; but at matchpoints I also couldn’t settle for a mere 100 against a partscore, and game our way had to be odds-against. Yes, I’ve seen Rich’s weak two-bids before.
3 x by South
| N-S Vul | K Q 7 3 J 9 8 5 10 5 3 9 8 | |
| A 6 2 A 3 A K J 4 2 10 7 2 | | 8 Q 10 7 6 4 9 8 7 6 A J 5 |
| Lead: A | J 10 9 5 4 K 2 Q K Q 6 4 3 |
| West 2 NT Dbl | North 3 All Pass | East 2 Pass | South 2 Pass |
Declarer ruffed the second diamond and led a spade to the king; then a club to the king. On the surface it may seem that 3 is makable with clubs 3-3, but this is an illusion; the lack of entries and trump control make even eight tricks difficult. Another trump lead was futile, so declarer led a club from hand; then ruffed the diamond return, and ruffed a club in dummy.
Declarer next led the 5 and, knowing Rich could not have two aces from the bidding, ducked hoping I had a blank ace. Rich was careful to cover with the six and won the trick (imagine carelessly playing low, ouch); then a heart return went to the king and my ace. The deal was now an open book, so I cashed the A (declarer unblocked dummy’s queen) and returned a diamond to create another trick; down two.
While declarer could never make 3 , it would have been better to start clubs from hand; then eight tricks would come home with routine technique. I suppose it could also be argued that South’s 2 overcall was the real culprit. But it’s a big zoo out there.
Dramatic FinishThe 128-board match between Italy and U.S.A. was a seesaw. Italy sprang to an early lead; then momentum shifted to U.S.A. which built a seemingly insurmountable lead. But wait! Italy surged back with an amazing run to lead by 21 IMPs with only two boards to play. U.S.A. won 10 IMPs on the penultimate board to close the gap; then came this “Deal of Infamy”:
5 x by North
| E-W Vul | 2 A J 9 3 K Q 10 9 8 6 5 5 | |
| J 10 5 4 2 A 7 K 10 7 6 4 2 | | A 6 5 4 3 K Q 10 8 6 4 2 A |
| Lead: A | K Q 9 8 7 7 J 3 Q J 9 8 3 |
| West Pass 2 3 | North 1 3 5 | East 2 Pass Dbl | South Dbl Pass All Pass |
Lorenzo Lauria, North, opened 1 ; Paul Soloway bid 2 Michaels; Alfredo Versace doubled to show values (perhaps an overstatement); and Bob Hamman showed his preference for hearts. Lauria repeated his diamonds, and when Hamman balanced with 3 , he could be sure of short hearts in dummy and took a shot at 5 . Soloway smartly doubled.
In the other room, U.S.A. had a good result on this board (plus 400 defeating 4 ) so the audience knew Hamman-Soloway must set 5 two tricks (plus 300) to win the match by 1 IMP! Down one would be a tie and go into overtime (8 boards).
Soloway led the A and shifted to the K (a trump would have been better). Lauria won and led the J, covered and ruffed; then came a club ruff with the 8; heart ruff; and the K to the ace. Soloway could now cash the 10 but didn’t know it… and… he returned a spade to let Lauria escape for down one.
Alas, Lauria lost attention (evidently thinking Soloway led a heart) and called a low spade from dummy. When Lauria realized what had happened, of course, he wanted to change it to the Q — so it all went to committee. A ruling would decide the winner! Since the correction was a change of mind, not an “inadvertent designation,” the Laws are clear, even for the Bermuda Bowl. The play stands. U.S.A by 1 IMP.
A lesson to us all: Pay attention!
Bizarre Triple Squeeze opening for takeout, and my son Rich rescued to 1 after the redouble. Eventually, Brian Senior of England became declarer in 3 NT.
3 NT by South
| A J 10 5 Q J 9 6 K J 9 7 3 | |
| 6 4 K 7 6 J 8 3 10 8 5 4 2 | | 9 8 3 2 A 9 4 2 A K 10 2 6 |
| Lead: 6 | K Q 7 10 8 5 3 Q 7 5 4 A Q |
| West 1 Pass All Pass | North 1 1 3 | East Dbl Pass Pass | South Rdbl 2 3 NT |
It looks like nine easy tricks with the A-K onside, and it would be after a red-suit lead; but Rich found the almost-killing spade lead, won by South’s king. The A-Q were cashed to discover the bad news (I pitched a spade) then South led a heart to develop his ninth trick. Suppose I win the A and return a spade, won in dummy.
If declarer leads another heart, West takes the king and leads a diamond to my A-K, then a third spade severs declarer’s communication. Whichever hand he wins in is left with a loser.
But wait! If declarer cashes one top club in dummy (he can’t cash both because West still has the K) I am caught in a bizarre triple squeeze, reminiscent of the late Geza Ottlik. If I pitch my last spade, I can’t lead a spade to break declarer’s communication; so I must let go my long card in a red suit; and declarer pitches from the opposite red suit. Next a heart is led to the king, and declarer can cope with any defense. If we cash both diamonds and lead a third spade, his hand is high thanks to the squeeze.
Alas, we didn’t put declarer to the test — instead trying to run diamonds after winning the heart. Sorry, Brian, for depriving you of the opportunity for the rare squeeze; but I’m sure he would have gotten it right anyway.
Copyright © 2004 Richard Pavlicek. All rights reserved.