Lose To The Right Defender

Winter has finally relaxed her feeble grip and summer's sun is rising. Hot days like these make you shamefully aware of a blessing called air-conditioner!

North-South were in 3 No Trump contract. West led the ♣8. A quick count of potential winners looked promising. The majors must give a minimum of five, one club was certain and the diamonds would have produced at least three even if both finesses failed.

East must have long clubs and the eight does look more like a lead from small cards than a fourth highest. If East hasfive clubs and your stopper goes at trick one, West needs only one diamond honour to regain the lead. You risk loosing four clubs and a diamond. Do you want to try

ducking the club in both hands? Then you will go down when left-hand opponent started with three clubs and both diamond honours.

To cut out East’s club you should call for the Queen at trick one. The ace wins, but you duck the second club and win the third. This exhausts West of clubs. Going up with the Queen does not harm your chances if the lead is fourth best after all. As East can never get in, you will still have

two stoppers.

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Easy to Play

It’s going to be a long weekend with Holi, the colorful spring festival and Good Friday, Christian religious holiday commemorating crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Above deal is easy to play hand when you know where the cards are! West led the ♠10, East played ♠A and continued with the ♠Q. South won the ªK and played two rounds of diamonds, ending in the dummy. Led the ♥J. East played low and South switched back to diamonds. Leading the ♦J. East, with the known ♦Q, couldn't stop South from getting another trick in diamonds. South could later draw trumps and then concede a trick to the ♣A.

It is true that on some distributions, South could lose a third trick, but the line chosen is a favorite to get South up to eleven winners. 

Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.

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The Devilish Lead

On the devilish trump lead, South has eight sure tricks and can ruff a heart for nine. It looks as if South might ruff a second heart, but he will have no entry in his hand without giving up the lead, and the opponents figure to be able to lead a second trump to foil that plan. 

South should win the spade in dummy and play a diamond. East will win the ♦A and play a club or a second trump. If East switches to a club, South should win the ♣A, and play the ♥A, ♥K, heart ruff, diamond ruff, and heart ruff. South will lose two clubs, a diamond, making 4ª. If East plays second trump after winning the ♦A, South should win in dummy, play the ♦Q, and discard a club on it if the ♦K does not appear, playing loser-on-loser. Again, the defense has no recourse. 

If East produces the ♦K on the second diamond South should ruff high and return to dummy in trumps to cash remaining diamonds. 

Why will you never see Satan in an Armani suit? 

Because the Devil Wears Prada!

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The Solution

Tomorrow is Maha Shivratri. It’scelebrated every year in reverence of the Lord Shiva. Shivratri means the ‘Great Night of Lord Shiva’. It’s the day Lord Shiva was married to Goddess Parvati. 

Enjoy another juicy deal from ‘Apro’ Dara! 

West led ♣3. The plan is to play for diamonds to split 3-3 to set up a heart discard from dummy, or hope that ♥J lies with West, so that a finesse with dummy's ♥10 hold.

The solution for the success of this contract is at trick one. South should duck! East would win with the ♣K and be on lead. He would probably switch to a diamond. South should rise with ♦A, cash ♣A, pitching a diamond from dummy, and give up a diamond. West would win and lead a heart. South would play ♥10, East ♥J and declarer should win with ♥K. Now, though, South could trump a diamond in dummy, get back to hand and pitch his heart loser on the established 13th diamond.

Death is the solution to all problems. No man — no problem.

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