Contract Bridge

Evaluating hands by utilizing point count has greatly improved the accuracy of bidding. Ironically, the use of point count has also greatly improved defensive play.

Consider this deal where West led the five of hearts and, after his partner’s king was taken by South’s ace, was able to quickly appraise the entire defensive position. West could see 22 points between his own hand and dummy, leaving only 18 points for East and South. Since East had produced the king of hearts at trick one, it followed that South had to have all the missing high cards for his opening notrump bid.

West could also see that,

by taking a diamond finesse, declarer would surely make at least nine tricks consisting of four diamonds, three clubs and two hearts. But since South did not know that the diamond finesse, if attempted, would succeed, it was up to West to try to dissuade him from taking it.

Fortunately for West, declarer had an attractive alternative line of play available to him. At trick two, South crossed to dummy with a club, led the jack of spades and finessed. But instead of winning with the queen, West took the trick with the ace! He then returned the heart jack to South’s queen.

Declarer naturally assumed

that East had the spade queen and therefore saw no reason to risk a diamond finesse, which, if it lost, could cost him the contract. So he crossed to dummy with a second club, led the spade nine and let it ride. One can only imagine declarer’s shock when West produced the queen and cashed three heart tricks to put the contract down one.

Note that if West had won the first spade with the queen, declarer almost surely would have abandoned the suit in favor of diamonds, and nine tricks would have come rolling home.

Tomorrow: A very hot potato.