Contract Bridge

A declarer’s path to success is often strewn with assorted pitfalls. One of declarer’s top priorities is to recognize them when they arise and to do everything that can be done to avoid them.

Today’s hand provides an illustration. The deal was played back in the 1930’s by Josephine Culbertson, who was generally regarded as the top woman player of that era.

She got to three notrump as shown, and West led the six of spades. Many declarers would have mechanically played the ten or four from dummy, but Mrs. Culbertson played the queen!

East took the queen with the ace but now could not afford a spade return because of dummy’s ten. So he shifted to a heart, and again Mrs. Culbertson responded with the correct play. She went up with the ace and led the king of diamonds at trick three.

East took the ace and led a heart to partner’s king, but he was fighting a losing battle. West returned a spade through dummy’s 10- 4, but Mrs. Culbertson won with the king and finished with ten tricks — one spade, three hearts, two diamonds and four clubs.

Now let’s suppose that the first play from dummy had been the ten (or four) of spades. In that case, East would have played the jack (or seven) to force South’s king. Then, at some point later in the play, when West gained the lead with the king of hearts, his spade return through dummy’s Q- 4 would have set the contract.

Similarly, had Mrs. Culbertson taken the tempting heart finesse at trick two, she would also have gone down after a spade return by West. It was only by avoiding both of these pitfalls that Mrs. Culbertson was able to make the contract.