Amazing as Bridge you need to keep all your options open in the play of the hand for it is only when several alternates present themselves that players generally falter in choosing the wrong line which in a particular layout is against the timing. Sometimes assuming prematurely the lie of cards makes the declarer put his wrong foot down only to regret it later.
Let us learn by example. In our illustration for today south is in 4S on the following NS hand.
The bidding proceeds as under:
The opening lead is the 4D and luckily your QD wins:
Here at this point, if south stops to analyse his prospects he should visualise 3 spade tricks, assuming bad trump break and 2 diamonds besides AKQ of clubs, again assuming bad club break, 2 heart ruffs in dummy can make up the 10 tricks required but south needs to tread carefully.
Safety play techniques dictate that if in a trump combination like the one we have, there is a 4-1 trump break suspected, how would you proceed? From dummy to the K Q 8 7 or vice versa? Imagine 4 trumps on your right holding both the J9. Then if you proceed from dummy, east is likely to play low and you can't afford a low card, so going up with the Q or K will place you in a soup, unable to catch the JS. In the alternate scenario leading towards dummy after cashing the KS and QS will early easily pick up the JS through the marked finesse. But then even if you pick all 4 trumps your contract will not make if clubs don't break. So what is your move in tackling trumps? Which card do you play from either hand or dummy? In case you played the top honours from hand, I am afraid you won't make it for the west east hands are as under:
There were plenty of tricks to take but the two mayor snags were lurking round the corners - bad club and spade breaks. You can well imagine that the contract won't make if you start with the KS and QS. Is there a better way to tackle this problem?
Well if you have guessed it, you are a good dummy player. You see Bridge offers various alternates and chances to the best route for success. Here it is best to combine your chances by leaving open the option of ruffing the hearts in dummy, two ruffs or if necessary even three.
Let us now come to the play of the hand with proper timing. First things first. Since you need low trumps for heart ruff you have to cash the AS.
Let us proceed logically for Bridge is nothing but a play with logic.The first scenario that can open when you cash the AS is when both follow low. So no 5-0 breaks that would leave you with the task of ruffing 3 hearts. What should be your next move after AS? Any ideas? You need to find out whether clubs will run smoothly or not. So play the AC next what can happen now as the cards lie. In the first scenario if all follow to the AC, you could continue with trumps. A 3-2 break is easy making. But here since trumps are 4-1, you could leave one trump out and switch back to clubs. The defender with the outstanding trump would be helpless taking it as he will not kill the contract as there would be a trump left in dummy.
In the second scenario, as the cards lie, if west ruffs the AC and suppose returns a heart, you ruff in dummy, cash the KS and ruff another heart, cross to hand with AD and draw the last trump. All clear with 3 top spades 2 heart ruffs, 2 diamonds and 2 more clubs to take having taken AC - 10 tricks complete.
Coming to our last scenario if someone shows out on the AS, even then you have good chances to make by ruffing 3 hearts provided clubs break 3 - 1. For you then simply cash AC, ruff a heart, AD, ruff another heart and the KQ of spades to come again to 10 tricks.
Here the moral of the story is that in Bridge, keep all doors open in case you need them.
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North South
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A 10 5 4 K Q 8 7
- J 7 6 4
Q 7 3 A 8
K 10 9 8 4 3 A Q 5
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S W N E
1NT P 2C P
2H P 3C P
3S P 4S
All Pass
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West East
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J 9 6 2 3
A 8 5 3 2 K Q 10 9
K 9 5 4 J 10 6 2
- J 7 6 2
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