Favourable Layout

Tomorrow is Buddha Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the magnificent spiritual leader Gautam Buddha, the founder of 'Buddhism'.  Buddha Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon of the Baisakh month.  It's considered to be the most sacred day in the Buddhist calendar.

West led the ♥2. East contributed the ♥9 at trick one and South won the ♥Q.   Requiring some trick in the spade suit, South continued with a spade to the  ♠8.  Taken by East with the ♠Q.  East returned the  ♥J.

it may seem insignificant until further analysis is applied.  south should win the  ♥J and play a second spade.  Whether West wins the ♠A immediately or delays the process, the defenders cannot win two heart tricks.

This gives south options.  If diamonds divide, success! However, if diamonds do not divide, South has an additional option, the club finesse.  With hearts blocked, South can afford to lose two spades, one heart and one club with the favourable spade layout.

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LATER ENTRY

In the above deal you need to retain the ♣K as a later entry to your hand after you establish your heart suit. So win the ♣A, cash the ♥K, return to your hand with the ♦K, and play the ♥A and the ♥J driving out the ♥Q. If the opponents can’t take four spade tricks, you have nine tricks! 

A polish bridge player went to the DLV 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 player replied. “I KNOW THE GUY! he was my partner!”

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Twitter ID :@HemaDeora 

Trying to Seduce

While South was concerned about losing the first two diamond tricks, he hoped for East-West to hold a 10-card fit. passing 5♣ would not have been unreasonable. 

West led the ♦K and East overtook with ♦A and returned the ♦7 to the ♦10 and ♦Q. Declarer ruffed in dummy. South would have started trumps by leading to the King if the defense had not forced dummy at trick two. Since South could no longer do that and pick up three trumps to the Queen in the West hand, South had a decision to make. If South wanted to play West for the three outstanding clubs South must risk a first-round finesse, losing whenever East started with the singleton or doubleton Queen. 

Of course, you should wonder why East was so quick to defend as he did when he might have been giving you a ruff-and-discard, and his partner might have held the ♥A. Is he trying to protect his partner’s trump holding or is he trying to seduce you into disastrous first-round finesse into his unguarded Queen? If you believe that your opponent is merely defending well, then you will cross to the ♥A and play a club to eight. When East shows out, you may breathe a sigh of relief, cash the ♣A cross to the ♠A cash the ♣K to draw the last trump.

Blog : www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID :@HemaDeora 

Winner-on-Winner

South, a pretty face, dealt this hand and opened 1♥. North straightaway jumped to 4♥. Recognising West’s lead as a short suit lead, she quickly attacked trumps after winning the first club. West played small and east won the ♥A to lead second club. south persisted in trumps, east signaling with the ♦10, as West won ♥K. West led a diamond to east’s ace and a third round of clubs set a ruff for West, sending the game down one and causing a look of pain on pretty face. 

South should have understood that the ♦A is a greater threat to her than a trump honour. Therefore, declarer should have played a diamond before playing trumps. 

East would have captured dummy’s ♦Q with her ♦A and returned a club. Now, a spade to dummy’s ace and south could have discarded her last high club on dummy’s ♦K – the winner-on-winner play. It was safe for south to lead trumps regardless of how the defenders maneuver; all that was left for them was just two top trump tricks.  

‘Winner takes talent, to repeat takes character’ 

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Twitter ID :@HemaDeora 

Combine The Chances

Christians around the world would be celebrating Easter today. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb. 

The above deal is about combining your chances. You win the ♦A, unblocking the ♦J and play the ♥Ak. if the ♥Q doesn’t drop, lead a diamond to the ♦10 and discard a spade loser on the ♦K (assuming the finesse works). If the ♥Q falls, draw the last trump and take your ten tricks not needing the diamond finesse. 

When a contract depends upon locating one of two queens via finesses, play the Ak of the longer suit. If the queen doesn’t drop, take the finesse in the shorter suit. 

The 3 Cs of life: 

CHOICES,

CHANCES,

CHANGES.

You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change.

Blog : www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID :@HemaDeora