Time to develop

here goes my heart for those beautiful, innocent, free feathery friends in the sky, injured during the kite flying on the day of Makar Sankrant. Joy for some and forever sorrow for many.

West led ♠Q, South won ♠K, led a heart to dummy and passed ♦J, losing to ♦Q. West returned  ♣Q. Against West’s imaginative defense, South thought the sure way to develop a club stopper. Unfortunately, it was the only way to lose the game. 

With no future in a second spade lead, West made the excellent switch to ♣Q. Dummy covered to guarantee a club stopper and dummy’s  ♣K won. When West won his ♦A, he cashed  ♣A and led his last club to East’s  ♣J. The defenders enjoyed three clubs and two diamonds for one down. 

South makes his game if he plays West for  ♣A, an inference certainly supported by the actual bidding. 

When West shifts to  ♣Q, South must refuse to cover.  ♣Q wins but West is stuck. If he continues clubs, dummy’s  ♣K wins and East’s fourth club is isolated. If West leads anything else, South has time to develop his nine tricks. 

“The bad news is time flies, the good news is you are the pilot.”

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Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

Pure Miracle!

Here’s a miracle hand. It was played at matchpoint scoring in a local bridge club. 

It started with a light opening bid (by American standards). South was hoping that North’s 2♠ rebid meant a six-card suit, but this time, he simply had a weak hand and was trying to slow down the auction. West’s double of 6♠ was a touch too greedy and he learnt a lesson when South removed to 6NT. The second double was probably an emotional reaction! 

Declarer won the heart lead in hand, cashed ♦A-K and ♠A. At this point, everything under the sun had fallen and declarer claimed 12 tricks (three spades, three hearts, five diamonds and one club). Had South played it out, he would have squeezed West for another trick. He could cash ♣A and ♥A, then the rest of the diamonds and last heart. West would have been unable to protect clubs and spades. 

The theory of restricted choice says that the diamond honour is likely to be a singleton (although the double of 6NT may have influenced South against this). Playing for a singleton diamond honour, South should have gone over to ♦A and finesse in diamonds. West would have won ♥Q. But, West who forgot to lead ♣K soon would have been squeezed. If he had exited with ¨K, declarer could win, cash his red tricks and come down to ♠A-5 and ♣J-8 opposite ♠QJ76. West must reduce to 3 spades in order to keep ♣Q. This allows declarer to cash four miraculous spade tricks. 

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Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

Alert Defense

Hope the new year was a great start with a lot of happy bridging with my readers! 

This was an interesting deal for the defense. South was in a partial contract of 2♥. West led ♦4. Dummy played ♦J and East played ♦Q. East returned ♠2. South played ♠J and West played ♠A. West continued ♠7, which East won, and South played ♠10. South won the third round of spades with ♠Q. When South played ♥A and ♥K, West followed with ♥9 and then discarded ♦2 on the second round. South led a diamond to ♦K and East’s ♦A. 

It is clear not to return a heart. That would give up a trick South was counting on. The choices are the thirteenth spade or a club into dummy’s ♣KJ754. Which will it be? 

East was an alert player and smartly he cashed ♣A, and got out with ♣2. This gave declarer an entry to dummy. But since South had not been able to shorten his trumps, the trump coup did not work. North led a diamond, but East just discarded his last spade and waited for the setting trick. 

‘If you are intelligent, if you are alert, the ordinary becomes the extraordinary.’

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

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

You are still alive

I wish my readers a very happy, healthy and a lot of winning bridge in the coming New Year!! 

One hates to see a 29 points hand go down the tubes — especially when there is a nine-card fit. 

South draws trump in two rounds and have to decide how to proceed. It must be right to tackle diamond while you still have a club ruff entry to dummy. So, South plays diamond Ace and a low diamond to the Jack. The good news was that the diamond Jack wins the trick. The bad news was that East pitches a club on the second diamond. 

South was still alive if East has a marriage in spades. South plays Club AKQ, discarding a spade from dummy and then Spade Ace and a Spade. If East has to take the trick, he will have to surrender a ruff and sluff, allowing South to pitch his Diamond Q while ruffing in dummy. 

‘Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion.

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Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

Loser On Loser

Celebrations for Christmas will begin tomorrow.  These include decorating the Christmas tree, cakes, carols and jolly old Santa Claus, who brings gifts for children.

'Apro' Dara has carefully preserved this really juicy deal for all of us and brought it all the way from Washington DC.

West led ♦A, declarer ruffed and played off six more trumps, hoping something good might happen.  It didn't and he went down.

Dummy actually contained numerous useful cards which if utilized, can produce a 10th trick.  If South ruffs ♦A with high trump, and plays ♥8 to ♥9, then it leads ♦Q and throws away a black card from hand. Say ♠4.  West wins ♦K and leads a spade to declarer's ♠A.  South now leads  ♥6 to ♥10 and plays ♦10. When East follows low, South throws away his ♠9.  West winning with the ♦J.  Whatever West leads, South can win.  Cross to dummy with the carefully preserved ♥3 to  ♥7. Lead ♦9 - now a winner - on which to throw a club loser.  That loser-on-play has established the final diamond as declarer's 10th trick.

'Keep calm and get

your ho ho ho on'

Wishing all my readers a merry Christmas.

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

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

A Finesse Is Sure To Fail

As you would not expect West to be leading from ♠AQJ, you should place ♠A with East. Once you do that, you should realise that ♥Q will be with West. If East had ♥Q, East would have responded. You play low on the first spade and West continues with ♠J. 

You play low from dummy again and West continues with a third spade. You ruff and turn your attention to the trumps. 

The normal play in hearts with this combination is to lead to ♥K and finesse ♥J next if ♥Q has not yet appeared. Here, you know the heart finesse is sure to fail. Therefore, cash ♥K and ♥A, hoping that West started with ♥Q doubleton. And you are home safely! 

‘Failures are the part of life. 

If you don’t fail, You don’t learn. 

If you don’t learn You’ll never change!’

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

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora

A SIMPLE SQUEEZE

 

Over the weekend was Johnson & Johnson’s 46th edition of their annual bridge championship. The beautiful “mind sport” was held at their Arena Space in Jogeshawari. Archie Sequeira has been a part of all from the year 1971. Kudos to Archie! The above deal is courtesy ‘Apro’ Dara from Washington DC. 

West led  ♣9 to East’s  ♣Q, and East switched to ♦2, South read this as a singleton, so rose with ♦A. She ruffed her club in dummy, and led a trump, discovering the bad news. West’s trump void suggested that she was long in the other suits, so South led ♥J. West correctly covered. This left dummy with one heart winner to discard one diamond loser from hand but, seemingly, no way to avoid losing ♦Q. South had other ideas. She drew all four trumps and then led her fifth and final spade. West, holding ♥987 and ♦Q7, had to discard, if she threw a heart, all dummy’s hearts would be winners; if she let go a diamond, South’s ♦KJ would both be good.

A perfect simple squeeze! 

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

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora