Sheer Luck

 

Good rains have been lashing Mumbai from past few days. The one season that Mumbaikars await – the monsoon! Of course, you have to ignore the traffic disruptions, potholes and sewage problems. But not to miss, the fire hot roasted “butta’, ‘garam chai’ and crispy hot ‘Bhajias!

West leads ♠6, East puts up ♠Q and South plays  ♠A. There are only eight tricks and the extra might come from all suits, but the red suits clearly offer the best chance. 

After winning the first trick South cashed three top hearts.No luck; West discarded a club. Then South played three rounds of diamonds. No luck. East won the trick, cashed the ♥J and pushed a spade through declarer’s ♠J: two down.

South could have made the contract by cashing ♥AKQ. ♦AK and ♣AK before exiting with a club. West is end played to give South his ninth trick. With ♠J.

Clouds come floating into my

life, no longer to carry rain or

usher storm, but to add color

to my sunset sky.

By – Rabindranath Tagore

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

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

 

Through the Heart and not the soul

 

Finally Mumbaikars had to say bye to lord Ganesha on ‘visarjan’ day. The long processions filled with pomp and splendor when Ganesh idols are taken to the sea and immersed in the waters there. Crowded and noisy, yet full of life – with order in the chaos. Ganesh visarjan is quintessentially what Mumbai is all about!

West leads the ♠K and ♠A against 4♥. East follows with the ten and signals with the ♣9. East seems to have the ♣A. So getting a club trick and a heart later will set 4♥. What should West do at trick three? West should lead a heart.

If West leads a club, South ruffs it and then ruffs his ♠Q with dummy’s ace. South can get back to his hand with club ruff and will go about drawing trump. West gets his ♥K, but that is the end of that.

By leading the heart at trick three. West is now able to get in with the♥ K And can give East a spade ruff. That annoying ♥A isn’t in dummy any more to stop this.

Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts!

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

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

 

Good Defense by East

Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival celebrated across the world in honour of Lord Ganesha (the God with the head of an elephant). On this day, devotees pray to the God for prosperity and an unhindered new beginning. West led ♦4 and all seemed well for South; ten tricks seemed easy. 

The first good play was East’s; he won with ♦A and returned a diamond. With four trumps in defense, you should always seek to make the declarer ruff in hand to shorten his supply. South did trump, cashed two top hearts before discovering the bad break, and took the losing spade finesse. West continued his partner’s forcing defence by laying down ♦Q. South was now in trouble. When ruffed, he was left with only one trump in each hand, while East held two trumps and ♣A. Defeat was now inevitable. 

Declarer can turn the tables on the defence at trick two. Instead of ruffing, he should pitch a spade from hand. West takes his ♦Q but, now, declarer can draw all the trumps, discard two further spades from hand on dummy’s ♦J 10 and then push out ♣A, still in comfort holding the final trump.

‘May the blessings of Lord Ganesha always be upon you’

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

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

Good Dummy Play

 

It deeply saddened my heart and shocked me to the core to learn of the sad demise of Farookh Cobla, one of our ardent bridge players and ‘the gentleman and an officer.’ I fondly remember, he would religiously read my bridge column in Sunday Mid-Day, and always SMS me his feedback on my writing in a very witty way! He was a very keen and regular bridge player, who never lost his temper or his gentlemanly cordial manners on the table. We will miss his lolly-polly personality, boyish looks, sweet smile and not to miss his well-combed puff in his hair!

May the Almighty rest his noble soul in peace.

West led the ♠Q; taken by South’s ♠A. South made good dummy play. Before drawing trumps he played on diamonds. By ruffing a diamond in his hand and then playing the ♥A and another heart. This way South avoided the second diamond loser. Of course, he had to be lucky enough in hearts not to lose more than two trump tricks, but that is a separate issue.

‘Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens’

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

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora