CONTRACT BRIDGE Safeguarding those entries in play

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32778, 1 December 1971, Page 19

CONTRACT BRIDGE Safeguarding those entries in play

(Contributed by

J.R.W.

Like a burglar, a bridge player has to watch his entries, so that if one is closed to him, he can use another. Unlike a burglar, he may occasionally even pay a small insurance premium to ensure success:

S—Q JlO H—J 5 D—642 C—QJIOB3 W E 5—K9742 S—Bs ' H—lo 7 H—K98432 D—QlOB3 D—9 7 C—74 C—A65 S S—A63 H—AQ6 D—AKJS C—K92

South opened two notrumps, showing between 20 and 22 high-card points, and North raised to three. There was no point in showing the

clubs, because the final contract was clearly going to be in no-trumps. After some thought West led his fourth highest spade, for although his prospects of establishing the suit were only slim, nothing else looked attractive. In fact, it turned but " to be right for an unusual reason.

South was pleased when the 10 of spades won the first trick, and settled down to the clubs. The king won the first round of the suit, on' which West played the seven. When the declarer continued with the nine, he followed with 1 the four, and East allowed dummy’s queen to hold. On winning the third round with the ace, East led back a spade. South played low, allowing the king to win, and West put the declarer back on lead with a spade to the ace. At this stage, dummy’s clubs were established, but there was no entry to them. Although South did his best by leading a small heart to the jack, East’s king won. By making two tricks in each suit, the declarer finished one down. Yet the contract can be made quite easily if the correct line of play is adopted. Win the first trick—not with the ten in dummy, but with the ace in hand. Then settle down to the clubs. East can hold up his ace to the third round, but either the queen or jack of spades in dummy provides a certain entry to the established clubs. Two tricks in spades, one in hearts two diamonds, and four clubs make nine in all.

One more point. When following to the clubs, West played first the seven then the four—a method of signalling used by nearly all advanced players to show a holding of an even number of cards in the suit. In this case. East knew his partner could not hold four because this would leave the declarer with a singleton. It was thus clear he must hold up his ace for three rounds to exhaust South of the suit.

Trump entries

Frequently, it is necessary to use the trump suit to provide entries to develop a side suit. This hand would pose no problems to a thinking player:

S—A K 4 H—9 7 3 D—J 10 4 2 C—6 5 4 W E S—9 8 S—7 5 2 H—B 4 H—K 10 6 2 D—A Q 6 5 D—9 8 3 C—A KJ 9 7C—lO 3 2 S S—Q JlO 6 3 H—A QJ 5 D—K 7 C—Q 8

When South opened one spade, North decided to respond one no-trump, but West’s two club overcall upset his plan. He was, however, just able to raise to two spades, with which everyone was satisfied.

West led the ace, king then the jack of clubs, th ruffing the third round. The declarer drew trumps with the queen, king, and ace, then led a small heart from dummy. When East followed with a low card, the jack won, the ace was made, and South continued with a low heart. East made his ten, then his king, and led a diamond, allowing West to make both the ace and queen, ’ly losing two tricks in clubs, two in hearts, and two in diamonds, the declarer conceded defeat.

Careful play would, however, allow him to make an overtrick. After ruffing the third round of clubs, the declarer crosses to the ace of spades to take the heart finesse, and returns to the king of spades to repeat the process. That is five tricks, and two high spades, and the ace of hearts make eight.

But if he cashes the ace of hearts first, he can ruff his last heart with the four of spades in dummy. Then the three master trumps in hand bring his total to nine. There is not as much risk in this line of play as appears at first sight.

If the hearts are threethree, obviously the declarer draws the last trump before cashing his thirteenth heart. If the hearts are four-two, and the hand with a doubleton can ruff the ace of hearts, nothing has really been lost, for there is still a trump in dummy to take care of the thirteenth heart. The bonus comes when the hand with a doubleton heart has only a doubleton trump, and cannot ruff the heart ace. Then, as we have seen, there is an overtrick available.