Lucky With Your Gamble

The last three days saw the Willingdon Sports Club hold the 4th Annual National Level Bridge Tournament. It was a very successful event under the Tournament Committee Chairman Deepak Poddar and members Manek Hiranandani and Vinod Nevatia. 

And now, ‘Apro’ Dara strikes again! With this tricky deal! 

South risked 7♥ and all passed out. West led the ♣K and when dummy hit, south seemed to have won his gamble. But south discarded his spade loser on the ♦A and drew trumps. When he next took the ♦A, East discarded and finally West got a diamond trick. Down one! 

To guard against the diamond break, South should have pitched the ♦10 on the ♣A and drawn the trumps. He could have taken the ♦AKQ, led a trump to dummy, ruffed a diamond and got back with a trump to discard a spade on the fifth diamond and won the lucky gamble. 

Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well!

Blog : www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID :@HemaDeora 

A Little Ploy

Was truly and pleasantly surprised to receive this amazing hand from our dear friend Deepak Parekh for us to enjoy the ploy. 

South was hilariously funny, irreverent, kind, a sensational natural player, and totally bonkers. His favourite story against himself was the time he rectified the count by ducking the first trick — in 7NT! He was South, of course, and his little ploy in the auction not only serves to increase the chances of playing 5♦DBL, but also ensures that partner leads a club if the opponents bid on. West’s lead of the ♣A was perhaps ill-considered, but you can see where it’s coming from. South ruffed and tabled the ♥K, covered by west and ruffed in dummy. ♣K was cashed and another club ruffed in hand. The ♥Q won the next trick, a heart was ruffed in dummy and another club ruff and heart ruff went well. 

With eight tricks in front of him, and ♦A10 facing ♦KJ, three more were needed. He exited with a spade. The defense won and shifted to a trump. Having won a cheap trick with the ♦J, a high crossruff produced the missing two tricks. 

Never refuse when you 

can confuse, 

distraction and delay are 

always better than 

obstruction! 

Blog : www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID :@HemaDeora 

Then Winning Move

Today, every Maharashtrian must be enjoying the festival of Makar Sankranti, exchanging plates of tilgul with each other. this is a harvest festival and perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year - January 14.  I pray people restrain from kite flying with glass coated 'manja'. , so as not to injure our innocent, fine, free-feathered friends. God save them.

west's vulnerable preempt advertised a very long suit, so South knew enough to expect West to hold distributional values.  Had south cashed both high trumps, expecting a 2-2 break, he would have had no chance. four losers would have been unavoidable.

The winning move is to win the ♥A and take immediate trump finesse at trick two.  When it wins, South gives West a heart trick but he retains control.  If West leads a third heart, dummy ruffs with the ♠K and another trump finesse picks up the trump suit.  (If West doesn't exit in hearts, South ruffs one high himself).  This limits South's losers to a heart and one trick in each minor, bringing him ten winners and game.

The dove is not ready to fly,

Not ready yet for goodbye,

Many dreams must fulfill,

have shown not his best skill!

Blog : www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID :@HemaDeora 

How To Reach Dummy

This really juicy deal is courtesy ‘Apro’ dara. It’s a new year gift for all of us! 

The declarer has four losers, a spade, a heart, a diamond and a club. He hopes one finesse should work. How could South reach dummy to finesse any? 

Declarer should win ♦J with ♦A and cash a second diamond. Then he should play the ♦Q and discard a club from dummy. East would ruff and would shift to ♣9. South should rise with ♣A and play his ♦2, discarding a second club from dummy when West wins. Now nothing can stop South from ruffing ♣Q in dummy safely and then being able to take the winning spade finesse.  

Declarer has no choice, East would have never led away from ♣K, so that finesse would have doomed. The only access to dummy was via the club ruff, so taking the free club finesse is a losing proposition on both counts. 

A polish bridge player went to apply for a driver’s license but first, of course, he had to take an eyesight test. the optician showed him a card with the letters: c Z W i X n o s t A c Z “can you read this?” The optician asked. “Read it?” The polish guy replied, “I know the guy, he plays bridge.

Blog : www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID :@HemaDeora