One Ruff Is Fine, But Two Are Fatal

Charlotte Bronte wrote, “A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.”

A ruffled mind worrying about ruffs -- trumps tricks -- makes a restless declarer.

Defenders are always trying to collect trump tricks, but as long as they don’t take too many, declarer shouldn’t toss and turn.

This is another deal from the Chinese Premier League, which was played in two halves, the first in September and the second in October. It was written up by Jerry Li from Beijing.

How did South play in four hearts? West led a low diamond; East took the trick with his ace and returned a low diamond.

North, after one no-trump forcing and a jump to four hearts, was nervous that his club suit would give them a slam.

The declarer was Wang Xiangyang, representing the Wuhan Dongfang Club. He wanted to maintain control if the trumps were 4-1 and establish dummy’s club suit.

He took the second trick with his diamond king, played a club to the ace, ruffed a low club with his heart king and led a low trump, ducked by West and won on the board. Then came the club king, on which declarer discarded his diamond jack.

It was tempting to lead a trump

WIN AT BRIDGE Phillip Alder now, but it would have been fatal. Instead, South played another club and threw a spade. West ruffed but had no answer. He tried the diamond queen, but declarer ruffed with his heart queen and played a trump, dummy having one more than West at this stage. Wang lost only one diamond and two hearts.