Bridge is not just a game of precision and good judgement. It is a game of patience and preservation. It is also a game of logic and perseverance. But the one characteristic that gives it a magical touch and delight for those who indulge in it is that it is a game of passion.
Unless the bridge player has the passion for the game he cannot excel in it and discover its hidden grandeur and the immense potential of exploration and experimentation that it evokes to make it such an enduringly fascinating sport. All the so called masters of the game love bridge passionately and this spurs them on to such dazzling and exhilarating display of bridge performances, which become the hallmark of their stature and reputation.
One such performance by a bridge player of great repute is our illustration today where you can be tested in a challenging defence against a contract of 3NT bid as under by NS: Put yourself in the west seat with the following hand: Obviously your marked standard lead is the deuce of clubs. The following dummy appears before you.
Partner wins with the ace of clubs and the declarer drops the JC. Partner returns the 4C to declarer's king. Take it from there. How do you plan to beat 3NT? You know declarer intends to play the diamonds his strongest running suit. So what are his chances and yours? First let us examine the point count 4 points already thrown from partner leaves 36 points of which 8 are in dummy and 9 with you as west totalling 17 points, which leaves 19 points. The declarer has announced from his jump bid of 2NT a hand worth 18-19 high card points, which leaves the remaining bust for your partner who can at most have only one jack. The Club jack has already fallen. The diamond jack is visible in dummy, which leaves either JS or JH with partner. Spades being declarer's, first bid suit, the most likely point your partner can possess is the jack of hearts at most or may even possibly the jack of spades.
The diamond position is vital for the declarer too. If your partner is void in diamonds declarer with 6 diamonds is likely to play to the AD directly giving you a chance to win KD. But this distribution is not a practical position likely. But if partner possesses 10 x of diamonds, declarer will play most likely the QD, which you will cover leaving him to guess the 10D, which can be with you K10X, leaving him with a guess of either finessing the 8 diamonds or playing directly for a fall. Either way it is your only chance of failing declarer's chances of making 3NT.
But you must not let your passion in defence bog down. Alert defence, thoughtful defence, far sighted defence is the hall mark of very good player who foresees what is in store. You already know that if declarer has a 4 card diamond and most likely a 3 card spade, the KJ of clubs appear to be a doubleton giving him 4. hearts. How is the club position discovered? From your partner's return of the 4 clubs which leaves declarer with 2 cards above - both of which have already fallen. He could not hold KJX or he would not have dropped his JC at the first turn. So once you conclude your lead has hit the jackpot with partner holding a 5 carder club, 4C being his fourth best, the passion for bridge showed inspire you to an unblocking play immediately - either the QC or 10C so that when you get a chance even though a remote one, can let your partner run the unblocked clubs smoothly to down the contract. In bridge, the streak of winning defence is passion. For the key to winning bridge is all about passion.
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Q642 10873
Q65 K7
K6 AJ853
Q1072 95
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West North East South
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- - - 1D
P IS P 2NT
P 3NT ALL PASS
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