An avoidance Play

West led a spade to East’s ªA and spades were continued. South must try for a club ruff in dummy for his tenth trick. South cannot afford for East to get the lead and play his third trump.

South needs to make an avoidance play in the club suit. South must lose both club tricks to the player with no trump left, and

that is West. So South should win the trump return in dummy and lead the §8. East plays low, South must play low. He should not play the §K. That would allow East to win the second round of clubs and play the fatal third trump. When South plays low on the §8, West wins his §10 and he can do no harm.

South can win any return and on the next round of clubs West would capture South’s §K with his §A. He is still trumpless and

South wins any return and finally get to ruff his third-round club loser in dummy for game-going trick.

Pain in this life is not avoidable, but the pain we create avoiding pain is avoidable.

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Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

With a little luck

West led the §4., south ruffed the first club in dummy and led a trump to his ©A, drawing out standing trumps. A diamond was led to dummy’s ¨10 and East’s ¨J and East exited with a diamond to West’s ¨A.

West shifted to the Aª, the finesse lost and a spade return doomed the contract!

South succeeds if, instead of ruffing, he discards a spade from dummy at trick one.  East wins the §A, promoting South’s §K to a winner.  Regardless of how the defense proceeds, South has time to discard dummy’s second spade on his §K, and loses only two diamonds and one club.

Luck never made a mad man wise!

A lady player never disliked a man so much that she would return his diamonds!

Blog          : http://www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

Use care in choosing

Wish you a Very Happy Valentine’s Day.

This deal is an ideal example of which suit to choose. West leads his fourth-best club,  and East cannot cover dummy’s club 9. Should South stay in dummy to try a diamond finesse or should overtake with his club 10 to finesse in hearts? Use care in choosing — your prejudices might influence your choice. 

If South opts to stay in dummy and finesses in diamonds, West wins his queen and shifts to hearts. This finesse loses also and East shifts to spades. The defenders then collect three spades to go with two red suit winners; and the game goes one down. So much for the diamond finesse. The Heart finesse is clearly the better choice. Why? If the heart finesse loses, South can still count nine tricks before the defenders take five (three hears, two diamonds and four clubs). 

South should overtake club at trick one to lead the Heart Q East wins, but there is no defense. West can never enjoy a diamond trick, and the defenders can score only three spades and Heart King. 

What did Valentine card say to the stamp? Stick with me and we’ll go places!

Blog          : http://www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

With a little bit of luck...

This hand was a struggle for South, first in the auction, then the play. After opening 1♣ and jumping to 3♣(a slight overbid), South heard partner bid his singleton, so he bid 3NT. Then his partner bid 4♣, a slam try. South bid 4NT, which appeared to be a signoff. North, however, responded aces, and South retreated to 6♣.

The good news for South started when West, figured out from the auction that South was ready for a heart lead so she led a spade. Nice try! Declarer won the ♠K, went over to dummy with the ♦A, and discarded three hearts on three spades. More good news: The spades were 4-4. Next the ♥Q was called for; East covered with the ♥A.

Declarer was beginning to see a bit of dawn. He was left with the problem of how to reach the dummy to cash that ♥10 (for a diamond discard). One idea is to lead a low trump toward the ♣J, hoping the ♣K is on the left. Another is to lead the ♣Q. If someone takes the ♣K, you’re OK, and if someone ducks (say, with King-third), you cash the ♦A and the ♣A and lead a third round of clubs, hoping the person with King third of clubs started with only two diamonds.

Declarer tried the second idea, leading the ♣Q. West won the ♣K and declarer reached the dummy for his discard and fulfilled his slam. West could have defeated the slam, if she had played ♣5 on the ♣Q.

Blog          : http://www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora