Establishing suit: key to success

Press, 20 February 1980, Page 18

Establishing suit: key to success

CONTRACT BRIDGE

By.

J.R.Wignalll

The declarer in this deal was not a particularly good player nor, as will appear, was he a particularly lucky one. West was the dealer with neither side vulnerable:

Against the final contract of four hearts, West cashed the ace, king and queen of spades before switching to the jack of diamonds. Hopefully the declarer tried dummy’s queen, but this was covered by the king and ace.

South now took five rounds of trumps discarding a club and a diamond from dummy but nobody was fooled.

East clung to all of his clubs and after the declarer had made the queen, king and ace of clubs, the jack took the last trick so the contract failed.

Up to a point South was unlucky, for had the jack of clubs fallen in two or

three rounds there would have been 10 easy tricks. At the same time this was rather aaginst the odds and there was a better line available. Having won the fourth trick with the ace of diamonds the declarer should draw only two rounds of trumps with the ace and king. He makes the queen and ace of clubs, and ruffs a club with the queen of hearts.

Dummy is re-entered by leading a low heart to the jack, drawing the last adverse trump on the way. The king of clubs drops the jack allowing South to discard one of his losing diamonds and the now established 10 of clubs provides a discard for the other.

This type of declarer play, establishing ’ a long .suit by ruffing out one or two of the smaller cards while paying close attention to the entry situation, brings home more contracts than all the more exotic coups put together. Here is another example, again featuring the club suit:

West, the dealer, opened the bidding but after a hectic auction South played in the final contract of six diamonds, doubled by the affronted defenders. GHad West chosen as his opening lead his singleton' club East could win with

the ace and return the suit for his partner to ruff. But not unreasonably West first tried to cash the - 7 ace of hearts. - .7

After trumping in dummy; the declarer saw that he had a number of chances to make his contract.

One way was to ruff all four of his small hearts on the table, but a quick check showed there were not really enough entries back to hand to do this.

An . alternative . Ayas to., draw trumps then Yely 6n4 West, the opener, to hokLj the ace of clubs. As the'; .cards lay this line would;’ have failed when East; turned up with, the ac'ft..-* jack and another club. By far the best playj-,| after trumping the heart;} opening lead on the table'll was to establish the club® suit. After drawing the? adverse diamonds with the?ace and king, the declarer carefully unblocked the acftG; of spades. A small club was led to North’s king, and although East won with the ace, the' slam was unbeatable now that both opponents had followed suit. East returned a heart which was ruffed in dummy and the* queen of clubs was cashed.' When the jack failed to . drop the declarer simply : discarded a club on the king of spades, ruffed a club in hand and established the rest of dummy’s suit. On this two .'of his small hearts went away and the slam had been made. ' i! f;