Better Bridge in Barry County January 17 2013

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

	North ♠  7 ♥  10 7 4 3 ♦  A J 6 5 4   ♣  K J 3
West ♠  Q 6 ♥  A K J 9 2 ♦  8 7 2 ♣  6 5 4		East ♠  10 4 ♥  Q 8 6 ♦  K Q 10   ♣  A Q 9 7 2
	South ♠  A K J 9 8 5 3 2 ♥  5 ♦  9 3 ♣  10 8

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

South Both A♥

North Pass	East Pass	South 4♠!	West Pass

Today’s column has South as the opener. Would you look at all of those spades! With both sides vulnerable, South reasoned that she could shut out everyone at the table by a preemptive bid of four spades. And that is what she did. All passed, and the contract was set at 4♠ in the South.

With eight spades in her hand and little more, South was hoping to go down no more than two tricks for a minus 200 score. Going down just one would be a minus 100 score, and making 4♠ vulnerable would be a plus 620, a most daunting effort when she saw that she had at least five losers in her hand. Would partner North be able to help out this time or not?

The lead of the A♥ from West suggested the K♥ as well. Most good defenders know better than to lead an ace without the king behind it. South was very sure she knew where the K♥ was. Where were the other key cards?

After thanking partner North for her hand, South surveyed the situation. An A♦ in the North hand was good while the clubs were questionable. South really did not expect much more from North than what she saw. Thinking to herself, she saw the reality of the contract as down one trick, but if the East-West pair misdefended, this hand might be makeable. That would be fun.

South called for the 3♥ from the dummy, 6♥ came from East, and her 5♥. Trick one had gone to the East-West team. Here West paused to survey the situation. With a good count of the heart suit, five in her hand, four on the board, and one each from East and South, West was sure that South had a singleton heart, and a continuation of that suit was pointless. A shift would be the right strategy. Would it be diamonds or clubs?

The diamonds looked to be solid with the A♦ sitting right out in the open. West chose a small club for the second lead. South played low, the right move (second-hand low), and East promptly played the Q♣, winning the second trick for the East-West defenders. Here at trick three was the crucial time for East-West to make the right defensive lead. What was the lead? Was it the A♣ to take the East-West’s third trick? Or was there a better defensive lead that would result in a sure defeat of the contract? What was the killing defensive lead?

East thought about the choices to play to the third trick. If East played the A♣ immediately, the K♣ would be set up on the board, and the A♦ would be South’s effective entry to that good club. Rather than do that for South, East devised a different strategy. If East could knock out the A♦, then there would be two chances to set the contract: one in clubs and one in diamonds. Accordingly, East made the proper defensive move, and she led the K♦, the top of the diamond sequence.

South was in trouble immediately after that strong defensive lead, but she took the A♦ and bravely led the lonesome 7♠ on the board. When spades broke 2-2, the worst was over in that area. However, South would only take the eight spade tricks and the one diamond trick for nine tricks, down one trick, and a minus 100 points on their side of the scoring tally.

The message here is that the defenders were careful and thoughtful as they prepared for the contract. Being hasty would have handed South a 4♠ contract that she did not deserve. The need for patience as defenders is crucial. In this case, because East and West were both careful defenders, they made the right leads as a partnership. East especially was to be congratulated for not taking the A♣ immediately. Clubs had only been led one time, and there would be time to take the A♣ later. Setting up the good Q♦ in her hand was East’s most important part in the defensive play of the contract. Well-done as patient defenders, East-West!

Gerald Stein

January 11, 2013

Number of words: 868

A bridge class called “Eight Conventions You Should Know” will begin on the four Monday mornings in February 2013. Start your New Year’s bridge resolutions today. Organized through the Institute for Learning in Retirement program at the Kellogg Community College Battle Creek campus on Hill Brady Road, this class will provide bridge playing time, bridge instructions, a chance to make new friends, and a chance to improve your bridge game. Call the KCC office for details.