Some hands on Bridge are really hard to comprehend. Often there is an unexpected distribution or a communication gap with lack of proper entries and most often than not, declarer has his timing wrong or shall we say not in line with the required sequence. Such hands call for outstanding plays. But then such plays are not everyone's forte. They require first of all a vision to comprehend the possible distribution of the opponents that can cater to declarer's chances of making the contract.
Next the declarer's timing has to be right in making the key play that sets the ball rolling for the declarer. Above all, the declarer's, sense of judgement about the key cards is the key to success. Of course not all contracts are makeable. Some make on opening leads in their favour. Others due to mis-defense and at times few make because of a fortunate slip by the declarer, which turns out to be a real blessing in disguise and the only way the contract could make.
Let me give you a famous hand played many years ago wherein almost all declarers failed to make the contract of 4S save one who did a splendid job by not buckling under any adverse pressure and hoping for the best outcome at the end. Let us first give you the NS hands and see how you fare in it. If you really are able to find a winning line, hold your head high in pride that you are amongst the best in declarer play.
Here is the hand along with the bidding: The bidding went with both vul. West made the killing lead of the 5S. East blanked out. Take it from there. At the outset you can see that there are 9 top tricks. The tenth can come via a heart ruff in the dummy. East's minor showing hand makes the diamond suit in dummy futile. The only blockage to the making of the hand lies in getting back to hand to get the heart ruff.
Well, how do you manage it? Suppose you play a club at trick 2, west takes it with the ace unfortunately and plays the second trump. Well if you return with the QC and lead a heart hoping it goes to east, and you succeed, a third club from east again puts you back in hand. This wont do. Alright then lets take a different approach. In with the second trump in dummy., what if H7 is led away from the ace, retaining the club Q in hand. Then whatever east plays, the declarer is in control to get the heart ruff. But the defence is too alert for that. Even if east wins with the queen, west holding the KH would overtake and remove the last trump.
Let us now give you the west east hands as well: The contract made by one declarer was played as under: winning the spade lead, a club K to AC, winning the second trump lead in dummy and giving a heart to west HK who knocks the last trump, the declarer now got back to hand with QC and began to run his trumps.
On the 5th round west threw a heart and east on the 5 trumps discarded 3 clubs, (46 and Jack) and the 10 and 9 of diamonds. This was the end position. When 8 of clubs was called for, east was in a soup. If he threw a diamond declarer would ruff the club and lead his diamond ace and back to set up the last diamond in dummy. So when east threw J of hearts, declarer discarded a diamond letting west win the 9C. Any lead of the heart or diamond was enough for the declarer to make his hearts good for making 4S. It was well played and called truly the hand of the year.
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West East
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5432 --
K6543 QJ10
2 KQJ109
A109 J7654
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North South
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AKQ J109876
A7 982
A9743 65
832 KQ
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N E S W
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1NT 2NT 3S 4C
4S ALL PASS
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North West East South
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-- -- -- J
A 654 QJ 98
A87 2 KQJ 65
8 9 -- --
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