Out of Safe Lead

The city of dreams, Mumbai, finally got relief from its hot and humid climate as rains lashes! The rains in Mumbai come along with traffic jams and potholes marmalade!! Yet, the monsoon is something Mumbaikars eagerly wait for!

West led the §Q and continued with the §J South ruffed the second club and drew one round of trumps before playing a low diamond toward dummy. East won his ¨Q and led his §A, which South ruffed. Another low diamond went to West’s ¨J and the game was lost. West was due another diamond and instead of ten tricks, South had only nine.

After ruffing the second club, South should lead a trump to dummy to ruff dummy’s last club. Another trump is led to dummy and the singleton heart is led to South’s ©10 and West’s ©Q. Since West is now out of safe leads, no matter what he does South gets home with a tenth trick.

Bath Coup --- getting to use the tub before your roommate!!

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Waste No Time

South was elated with his 24 high card points and allowed thrm to inducer a slight case of euphoria!

South should not waste time trying to take spade just go after spades from the top.  Lead the ♠A and another spade.  Continue  the suit at needed in time.  south will have two spade tricks which brings him to ten, and can take the diamond finesse if wishes to try for an eleven trick. taking the diamond finesse with the intention of finessing spades if too dangerous.  True, if the ♦Q is onside and if the spades behave, you can get twelve tricks, but if the diamond finesse loses, the defenders may be able to defeat you by playing more diamonds.

Once in Paris on a rainy day I dropped in at one of the bridge clubs and I was matched up with another player when I showed up without a partner. All through the match, whenever he made a mistake, he would say, "No Man is perfect".  Later I found out that his name was Norman.

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A Forcing Defense

When the opponents play a forcing defense you always wish you had an extra trump or two. 

West leads the ♦5. You play low from dummy and East wins the ♦J and continues with the Ace and you ruff, West playing the ♦7. You continue with the ♠A, ♠K and fortune is with you – both opponents follow and only the ♠J is at large. now what? 

Assuming you have a club loser, you can’t draw their last trump before leading a heart. East can win the ♥A and play a fourth diamond promoting West’s ♠J to the setting trick. 

But, if you knock out the heart first, consider the difference. East wins and plays a diamond which you ruff. now play the ♣A and ♣K just in case East has a singleton or doubleton Queen. if East has QX and 2-3- 6-2 hand pattern, you make an overtrick. if West has the QXX, the best he can do is win a third club and exit a heart to dummy. now all you have to do is return to our hand with a spade and take your remaining clubs.

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A Ruffing Finesse

‘Apro’ dara is back in ‘Apla Bharat,’ enjoying the monsoon and the wild bridge. As usual with a juicy deal for all us, all the way from Washington DC. 

When north showed jump preference, south felt that north was denying any values in hearts and spades, so south bid the slam directly. When West led the ♥K, south summed up his position: He could take either the spade finesse or the diamond finesse? He pondered, shifting in his chair amid his indecision. 

The reality is that south should not take any finesse in the traditional way, but combined his chances with a ruffing finesse and loser on loser play. South wins the lead and draws two rounds of trumps. He played ♦7 to ♦A and led ♦Q from dummy.  If East cover with ♦K south ruffs and later discards ♥7 on a winning diamond. If East plays low, declarer throws ♥7 from hand anyway. Even if West could win he couldn’t cash a heart trick. Now south’s ♠QJ6 could all be discarded on the remaining winning diamonds. 

It’s best if you can do things with a sense of humor and finesse!

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A distinct danger

In above deal, South competed with 2♠ and North came through with an excellent 4♠ bid.  North bid on the assumption that he had shown nothing when, in fact, he had two valuable cards.

West led the ♥K and ♥A.  South ruffed and started after trumps.  West took the second round, Had he continued hearts, South would have had the rest, barring the club loser but West switched to a club.  North took his ♣A and tried to come to his hand with a diamond. Bad luck. West ruffed it and East’s ♣K became the setting trick.

On the bidding, there is a distinct danger that West has no diamonds. East did bid them in response to the double.  South can also more or less count on West’s having the ♠A.  South should have discarded a club on the second heart.  In this way, South could later ruff a club to his hand, keeping East off lead.

It is true that if East has the ♠A and only four diamonds, and West holds more than one trump, South would have found a way to go down on a cold hand (West would lead his diamond at trick three and get a ruff when East takes his ♠A), but that is an odds against scenario.  The one that did occur is more likely.

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