Better Bridge in Barry County July 18 2013

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

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

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

South Both J♣

 

North   Pass	East   Pass	South 1NT	West Pass

Today’s column looks at a perennial problem in the bridge world. What do you do when you have a solid no trump opening hand, and everyone passes, and you are stuck with a one no trump contract? The question often arises about the change in the number of points needed for a one no trump opening bid. Most modern players have gone to the 15-17 high card points, no voids or singletons, and only one doubleton. A number of players ask why there is a change from the long-established 16-18 high card range. The response is often given this way: with the lower point range, there is the opportunity to bid more often as well as to more accurately describe your hand and your point count to your partner. Why not take the opportunity to bid and bid often? The dilemma then occurs if the one no trump bid is passed out. Then it becomes a battle between the defenders planning to set the contract, and the declarer hoping that his partner has something to help make the contract. Look and see what happened in today’s hand found at a local game recently.

South with a balanced hand and the right range of 15 high card points elected to open with a 1NT bid. South’s partner had big help in clubs but not enough to go higher. North accordingly and rightly passed as did the defenders East and West.

West with the lead chose the top of the club sequence hoping to make something happen in that suit. West chose the J♣ for her lead. South surveyed the lead and the dummy making a plan after thanking her partner, especially when she saw the strong clubs on the board. South could count four sure tricks: The A♣, the K♣, the Q♣, and the A♥. The other three tricks would have to come from cards held in the South hand. It would not be an easy contract to make.

Wanting to keep an entry in her hand, South called for the A♣ on the first trick, winning that first trick as planned. Next came a heart leading toward her hand, and she put up the J♥, losing to the K♥ in the West hand. West returned the 10♣ driving out the K♣ on the board. South again kept the Q♣ in her hand as an entry. East showed out on the second club, however, sending out an 8♦ as an attitude signal card.

South chose a small diamond, and here East wisely played low in second position. The adage of “Second hand low” had proven its worth again. South put in the J♦, and it lost to the singleton Q♦ in the West hand. West had been counting clubs and knew that the Q♣ was in the South hand. Here West led the 6♣ and even though the clubs on the board look like they could win the trick, South was caught with the Q♣ in her hand. There was nothing more to be gained from the board.

South had won the three club tricks so far, and she had two hearts ready to cash. South cashed the A♥ and the Q♥ winning two more tricks. Five tricks in so far, but South still needed two more tricks to make her contract. South led the 4♠ hoping to make something happen. Something happened all right. West grabbed the A♠, took the good 9♣ and the good 10♥ and exited with a small spade. East took the K♠ and the A♦. North/South ended up a trick short for down 100 points. East/West with good defense together managed to take the necessary seven tricks to earn a positive score of 100 points.

Could South have done something better to prevent the poor score for their side? Perhaps South could have taken the first club trick in her hand and taking the club lead into consideration might realize that West was leading from the top of a sequence of three touching cards. Leading a small club back toward the Ace and King of Clubs, West might have played low, and South could have chosen the 7♣ or the 8♣ for a cheap finesse. Those are post-mortem thoughts, and in the play of the hand, there is little time to consider each and every alternative to making a good play. Sitting back and looking at four hands at once is a great advantage for a reader, but for the player, the plan you make at the beginning of the hand is the plan that you stick with during the rest of the play. Make a good plan at the beginning and plan out the way to get those seven tricks if you end up in a one no trump contract.

 

Gerald Stein

July 13, 2013

Number of words: 995

Bridge notes: “Learn Bridge in a Day” will be offered again in our area for those who want to learn a lot of bridge in one day. While no substitute for taking additional bridge classes, still it is an easy way to learn about bridge in one afternoon. The next class will be held at the Kalamazoo Bridge Center just off West Main in Kalamazoo on September 15, 2013. Consider alerting your friends who have always wanted to learn how to play bridge to take this opportunity. You will have new bridge partners before you know it.