AUDREY GRANT'S BETTER BRIDGE MAGAZINE September / October 2019 | Page 5
On the actual deal, the diamond
finesse works and we make the
contract with an overtrick. We get
six diamond tricks to go with two
spades, a heart, and a club.
What if East held all five of the
missing diamonds? Then it’s a truly
stormy day and we’ll have to hope
for a little luck in one of the other
suits!
T aking the L osses E arly
On this next deal, we are in 3NT
and West leads the ♠J. What’s our
plan to guard against misfortune?
♠
♥
♦
♣
LEAD
♠ J
A 6
7 6 4
A K 6 4 3
9 6 3
3NT
n
w
e
s
♠
♥
♦
♣
K Q 7
A K 5 2
10 7 5
A J 5
We start with eight top tricks: three
spades, two hearts, two diamonds,
and a club. We need only one more.
This could come from hearts if the
defenders’ six hearts are divided
exactly 3-3, a 36% chance. There’s
also the possibility East holds both
the ♣K and ♣Q, a 25% chance. The
best chance, however, is the diamond
suit. Missing only five diamonds, we
will establish two extra winners any
time the defenders’ diamonds are
divided 3-2, nearly a 70% chance.
But what if the defenders’ diamonds
are divided 4-1? We can still make
the contract, but we will need to take
some precautions. Suppose we win
the first trick in our hand. We should
start by playing a low diamond from
both hands. Suppose both defenders
follow suit and West wins and leads
another spade.
At this point, the diamond suit is
established if the defenders’ diamonds
were originally divided 3-2. If we’re
the cautious type, however, we want
to guard against a 4-1 break. So we
should lead a low diamond from
dummy, giving up a second trick in
the suit. We’ll be rewarded when the
full deal looks like this:
win in our hand, take the ♣A-Q,
cross to dummy with the ♠A, and
play the ♣K. If the defenders’ clubs
divide 3-3, we will get two more
club tricks through length. We can
then try the diamond finesse. If that
works, we have all the tricks.
Of course, we probably aren’t quite
that optimistic. If we play a low
spade from dummy and East holds
A
6
♠
3
NT
the ♠K, we will lose a trick, but the
7
6
4
♥
♠Q will now be a winner. Even if the
♦ A K 6 4 3
clubs don’t divide and the diamond
♣ 9 6 3
♠ J 10 9 4
♠ 8 5 3 2 finesse loses, we’ll still end up with
n
ten tricks: two spades, a heart, four
♥ J 9 8 3
♥ Q 10
w
e
♦ 8
♦ Q J 9 2 diamonds, and three clubs.
s
♣ Q 7 4 2
♣ K 10 8 If we’re a pessimist, however, we
should see the danger of playing a
♠ K Q 7
low spade a trick one. This might be
♥ A K 5 2
the actual layout:
10
7
5
♦
♣ A J 5
♠ A 7
By taking our losses early and giving
3NT
♥ 10 6
up two diamond tricks, we still have
♦ Q J 8 6
a diamond left in our hand to cross
♣ K 9 8 6 3
to dummy’s ♦A and ♦K and take
♠ J 8 5 4 2
♠ K 10 3
n
the established fifth diamond.
♥ 9 4 3 2
F oreseeing P ossible D anger ♦
K 3
always ♣ J 4
As declarer, we should
be looking for potential danger.
Consider this deal in which we reach
3NT and West leads the ♠4.
♠
♥
♦
♣
A 7
10 6
Q J 8 6
K 9 8 6 3
3NT
w
e
s
♠
♥
♦
♣
Q 9 6
A 7 5
A 10 9 5 4
A Q
♥ K Q J 8
♦ 7 2
♣ 10 7 5 2
If we play low from dummy at trick
one, East wins the ♠K. East then
switches to a heart, driving out our
♥A. When the clubs don’t break and
n
the diamond finesse loses, down we
LEAD
w
e
go.
♠ 4
s
Instead, we should win the ♠A at
Q
9
6
trick one and take the diamond
♠
finesse. Even though this loses, it
♥ A 7 5
loses to the safe opponent. West can’t
♦ A 10 9 5 4
lead another spade without giving us
♣ A Q
If we are an optimist, we can see a trick with the ♠Q. If West leads
the possibility of taking all thirteen anything else, we have nine tricks:
tricks on this deal. If we play low one spade, one heart, four diamonds,
from dummy at trick one and West and three clubs.
has led away from the ♠K, we can In summary, when we are declaring,
we should look for a favorable lie of
the cards only if that’s necessary for
hen the contract appears fairly
the contract to succeed. Otherwise,
we should consider what might go
secure be prepared for what might
wrong, and be prepared if the rains
go wrong and plan your play
do come.
W
,
.
B etter B ridge . com
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