QUESTION: Would Declarer make
the contract if a small Diamond was lost before Hearts were played?
ANSWER:
Not with good defense. The Defender who
won the Diamond trick has to lead a Heart.
But
why not lead a Club? That lead would be more dangerous than the Heart lead
because the A or the
K of Clubs is being "underled".
Banging down the Ace or the King is equally bad. The safer exit card is
a Heart by any Defender. Now Declarer is forced to play Clubs and lose
3 tricks in that suit for a one trick set.
QUESTIONS:
1. What deceptive play can West
make to set the contract?
2. Is 3 No Trump a better contract?
1. Refuse to win the Q the first time
the Club Finesse is taken. A tough play. Because if the K
and A are now played
the Q falls (so does
your partner's mouth) and the Declarer makes an over trick.
But what
Declarer will not take the Finesse the second time? (A Declarer with X-ray
vision or good ESP). For it is very possible that East has 4 Clubs to the
Queen and the Finesse has to be taken twice to pick up the Queen.
Here's
what happens when East refuses to win the Q
the first time the Finesse is taken. The Finesse is taken again and now
East wins. (Try not to gloat too much; bad Bridge manners.) East returns
a Spade which wins in Dummy. But the Club suit blocks; it can not
be run. The next Club trick is won with A
in the hand. But alas, there is no way now to get to Dummy to cash
the good Club. The Declarer will now lose 3 Diamond tricks; and this plus
the Club loser sets the contract.
2. Good or bad is sort of relative in Bridge.
And it is not always possible to analyze a Bridge hand solely by results.
In this particular hand 3 No Trump does easily make with over tricks. Count
winners. 2 Spades; 5 Hearts; and 2 Clubs for 9 tricks off the top. The
two over tricks will come in Clubs even if the Finesse for the Queen loses.
But let us change
this hand a bit. Give East/West the A
and North/South the Q
and J . The bidding
is the same, but 3 No Trump will not make.
TIP: With a fit in a Major suit it is usually
best to play in a suit contract. Two exceptions:
1.
The hands are very flat. No doubletons, singletons or voids.
2.
The hands are fairly flat and the combined point count between the two
hands is over 30. |