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BRIDGE

If only plus counts, maximise the odds

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Albert Einstein said ,“If A is success in life, I should say the formula is A equals X plus Y plus Z, X being work and Y being play. Z is keeping your mouth shut .” He wasn’ t keeping his mouth shut! He was being interviewe­d forapiecei­n TheNewYork TimesMagaz­ine.

When you are playing social bridge or in a teams event, you should try to ma xi mi se your chances of making the contract. Only when in a duplicate pairs event should you take a favour able bet to try forovertri­cks. Today’ s deal is an example. How should South play in five diamonds after West leads the heartjack? To be honest, most pairs would reach three no-trump, especially in a duplicate, and could lose the first five tricks. However, using journalist­ic license, here is an auction to the best contract .( Perhaps you think five diamonds by North is best, to protect you from an immediate club lead through the ace-queen. But with this layout, it works badly. East takes his top spades, then exit sin a red suit and a waits the setting trick inclubs.) If just making five diamonds is what matters, declarer should draw trumps, cash his other heart winners and lead a spade. Here, he gets lucky. East wins two tricks in the suit, but is then end played. If he leads a club, it is away from the king. Or, if he plays a major, Souths luffs a club from his han dandruffs on the board. In a pairs event, though, if the club fines se is working, declarer can win at least 12 tricks, and the chance that East has all three black-suit honour sis very low.So, South should take that finesse.

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