Contract Bridge

Test your play

1.You are declarer with the West hand at Three Notrump. North leads the K-Q of clubs, which you duck, and then the jack, on which South shows out. How would you play the hand?

WEST EAST

♠ K J 10 5 ♠ Q82

♥ AK8 ♥ Q654 ♦ AQ ♦ J743

♣ A942 ♣ 86 2. You are declarer with the West hand at Four Hearts, and North leads the five of hearts. You win South’s nine and return a high heart. North takes the ace and returns the heart eight, which you win, South having discarded two diamonds. How would you play the hand?

WEST EAST

♠ K 10 ♠ J75

♥ K Q J 10 4 3 ♥ 762 ♦ K6 ♦ A4

♣ J86 ♣ A K 10 9 3

1. If North has the ace of spades, you cannot make the contract, so you must assume South has the ace.

However, it would be wrong to lead a spade at this point because South would win and most likely return a diamond. You would then be faced with the critical decision of whether to take the diamond finesse or rely on a 3-3 heart break instead — and you would have no way of knowing which to do.

You can avoid this dilemma by first cashing the A-K-Q of hearts. If the suit divides 3-3, you cash the fourth heart and then drive out the ace of spades to assure nine tricks. If the hearts turn out to be divided 4-2, you can then fall back on the diamond finesse as your last chance to make the contract.

By testing the hearts before attacking spades, you give yourself two chances to get home safely instead of just one.

2. There is a possibility of scoring the rest of the tricks by taking a club finesse, but there is also the possibility of going down if the finesse loses to the queen and South returns a spade, putting you in position to lose two spade tricks.

However, you can guarantee the contract against any lie of the cards by crossing to dummy with a diamond and leading a low spade toward your hand. Let’s assume South follows low and you lose the ten to the queen.

This is no great hardship because whatever North returns, you win and next concede the king of spades to the ace, establishing dummy’s jack as a trick on which you can discard a club. The most you can lose on this line of play is a heart and two spades.