Daily Bridge Club

Miscalculations

“Willie was a chemist, but Willie is no more.

What Willie thought was H20 was

H2SO4.” — graffiti Bridge is a game of errors — and of keeping the number you make to the minimum. Players miscalculate all the time. Today’s deal arose in a team match, and both Souths landed at four spades after opening one spade. When North raised, South could bid game without telling the defenders about his second long suit. West led the jack of diamonds, winning, and a second diamond.

At one table, declarer ruffed and miscalculated by drawing trumps and leading the king of hearts. West considered playing low, but he counted only nine tricks for South even if dummy won four heart tricks.

So West took his ace and led another diamond, and South had to ruff with his last trump. He ran the hearts, but West won the last two tricks with the ace of clubs and a diamond. Down one.

At the second table, declarer fared better: He led the king of hearts at Trick Three. If West had played low, South would have drawn trumps and forced out the ace of clubs, winning five trumps, four clubs and a heart. So West took the ace of hearts and led another diamond.

South ruffed and still didn’t draw trumps. He led a club next.

West had no winning defense. If he played low, dummy’s king would win, and South would draw trumps and run the hearts for 10 tricks. If West took his ace of clubs and led a fourth diamond (no other lead would be better), South could ruff in dummy, preserving the trumps in his hand to draw trumps. South dealer N-S vulnerable