BRIDGE NOTES: Assumption + Timing = Success

Dummy play in Bridge often brands a player's ranking. If he is more successful than others he is rated as a skilful competent dummy player of repute. Although Bridge has the other vital characteristics like good bidding and defence, it is the dummy play that raises the kibbitzer's interest and makes Bridge more interesting to watch. All hands are, however, not absorbing, most being based on routine play. But then come the challenging ones that require skill and here the declarer is tested to the full, with the success percentage falling in the lap of Experts.
In between are hands that are played most and which often go unnoticed when the declarer either makes them or fails in them. They are termed as hands that border on the lucky lie of the cards. But sometimes even in such hands, a lot of concentration, assumption is required to level off successfully.
Let us the learn by example. North - south are in a contract of 4H with the following cards held: The bidding was simple short and sweet. 1H by south, 2H by north raised to game by south at 4H. The opening lead is the 7S. As south, how would you play this hand?
Looking at the cards it is quite revealing that the declarer is bound to lose a club or two apart from the trump ace and possibly a diamond if the finesse of the king falls flat. Let us not forget the killing lead of spades that has triggered a sure loser in spades to add to the woes of the declarer. As we can see with 3 inescapable loses, a spade a trump and a club, the declarer is in a bit of a tangle as to how to approach this dummy play with proper timing looking to the fact that the dummy is very poor in entries. In fact the vital entry of AS has been removed at the very first trick putting the declarer in a dilemma at making 4H for which he needs a successful finesse in diamonds, the favourable lie of the club ace and a normal break in hearts.
In Bridge the principle of assumption plays a key role in such hair splitting decisions. Since no other tricks bedsides the 3 inescapable losers mentioned above need to be lost, the self-evident fact that needs to be realised is the plan to assume that the lie to the vital cards should be in declarer's favour ie both the KD and the AC must be assumed to be with east if declarer has a semblance of a chance to fulfil this contract of 4H.
Once this assumption to place these key cards with east is made, the next stage in the thought process is to time the play correctly. For in Bridge timing is of the essence. Once you lose it, there is no turning back, here it is obvious that both clubs and diamonds need to be played from the table tours the closed hand despite the abject shortage of entries in the dummy. For the timing to be proper what needs to be kept in mind is the simple proposition that what cannot be played profitably from the closed hand, has necessarily got to be played from the dummy. In such situations although players are anxious to get the trumps out at the first opportunity, here the timing spells out not to waste dummy's entries in doing so for trumps are solid and can easily be played from hand.
Well did you get your timing right? Proper play dictates that south must lead a club at trick (2 or 3??) (Trick 3, for it is better to duck the first trick). If east plays low and south's is queen wins, south next, knocks out the trump ace. If west returns back a trump, south should take it in hand in case hearts are 3-1 for he needs to be in dummy with the heart 9 on the last trump drawn out, dummy now leads QD. If east again fails to cover, south must unlock the JD to retain the lead in dummy. But if east covers QD with KD, the 9D would be the vital entry for south to play the club second time through east to make his club honour safe. The actual west - east hands were as assumed by the declarer as under: This was a classic example where declarer had both vital ingredients of Bridge in his favour to supplement one title caption: Assumption + Timing = Success.

=========================

    North           South

=========================

      A 6             J 5

  9 6 4 3      K Q J 10 8

Q 1 0 9 3           A J 4

    9 3 2           K Q 6

=========================

=========================

    West             East

=========================

Q 9 8 7 2        K 10 4 3

      A 5             7 2

      6 5         K 8 7 2

 10 8 7 5           A J 4

=========================