End play strategy
IN an end play (my topic this week), you give an opponent the lead in a position where any lead will help you.
Today’s West leads a diamond against six hearts, and since he would have no reason to lead from K-6-3 or Q-6-3, South suspects the lead is a singleton. He takes the ace, and East plays low.
South counts only 11 tricks: one diamond, five trumps, two spades, two clubs and a club ruff in dummy. He draws trumps with the A- J and considers finessing in clubs for a 12th trick. But if East held seven spades, one heart and three diamonds, he isn’t likely to have the queen of clubs (and if he does, the queen will fall under the A-K anyway).
Instead, South discards diamonds on the A-K of spades, ruffs dummy’s last spade, takes the A-K of clubs to pitch a diamond from dummy and leads the jack of clubs.
When West’s queen covers, dummy discards another diamond. West must then lead another club, and South discards dummy’s last diamond and ruffs in his hand.
You hold: None A K Q 10 7 10 9 8 5 4 A K J. You open one heart, your partner responds one spade, you bid two diamonds and he rebids two spades. What do you say?
Misfit deals are cause for caution, and if your ace of hearts were a low heart, you would pass to avoid impending disaster. Even on the actual hand, a pass might be the winning action, but your extra strength justifies one more try for game. Bid three diamonds or 2NT. acyl, agency, agley, amyl, argyle, army, aryl, cagey, camelry, carney, clary, clay, clergy, creamy, cyan, cyma, cyme, early, eyra, gamely, gamy, germy, glary, gleamy, gley, gnarly, gray, grey, gyre, lacy, larceny, layer, legacy, lyre, mangy, manly, many, meanly, meany, mercy, myna, namely, nary, nearly, racy, rangy, relay, rely, yang, yarn, yean, year, yearn ACROSS 6. Some distance to where there’s no rough? (7) 7. Polite unlike the
military? (5) 9. Country where father falls into iniquity (5) 10. He uses his legs in revolutionary movement (7) 12. Be called he-man beater (it’s a misnomer!) (4,3,4) 14. Is it therefore cheaper to stay in bed? (6,5) 18. Flavouring strong at first offends without extreme tests (7) 19 E.g. prone to
falsehood? (5) 21. Sudden fear amongst rival armies (5) 22. Affectedly reticent about turn-out in rural area (7) DOWN 1. Contented to be very quiet in the dry grass (5) 2. Spare one false
commendation (6) 3 & 20 Dn. 1000 touched by Cupid’s weapon in vegetable! (6) 4. Insert the necessary information for a stopgap (4-2) 5. Charming maybe, but be only partly victorious (7) 8. Python coiled round ring in violent wind (7) 11. Browbeat
cavalryman (7) 13. Six agree in essence
(7) 15. Tell during class? (6) 16. Onerous attempt?
(6) 17. Not half keen on attempt at getting in (5) 20. See 3 Down Across 6. Fourth part (7) 7. Panel (5) 9. Redden (5) 10. Encroach (7) 12. Surroundings
(11) 14. Undeniable
(11) 18. Succession (7) 19. Banish (5) 21. Intone (5) 22. Argue (7) Down 1. Quash (5) 2. Jail (6) 3. Wager (3) 4. Pedestal (6) 5. Offspring (7) 8. Licentious (7) 11. Reveal (7) 13. Wind (7) 15. Mission (6) 16. Opulence (6) 17. Smooth (5) 20. Bath (3) QUICK Across 1 Supplicate 7 Heart 8 Blemish 10 Vigorous 11 Skim 13 Lethal 15 Recess 17 Ogre 18 Strength 21 Skittle 22 Amour 23 Promptness Down 1 Slang 2 Paternal 3 Labour 4 Chew 5 Trickle 6 Chivalrous 9 Hemisphere 12 Renegade 14 Terrier 16 Street 19 Gloss 20 Stem CRYPTIC Across 1 Crosswords 7 Wheel 8 Nearest 10 Employer 11 Minx 13 Matted 15 Ragged 17 Awry 18 Macaroni 21 Swarthy 22 Ensue 23 Comparison Down 1 Cheap 2 Onlooker 3 Sinned 4 Oval 5 Deeming 6 Sweetmeats 9 Taxi driver 12 Caramels 14 Tornado 16 Lawyer 19 Orson 20 Stop