Throw Your Winner!!!

In a recent tournament, I found an interesting board as displayed below. The bidding is using precision system, South open 1D, North 1H, South rebid 1NT (12-14) and North jump to 3NT. West lead spade, Declarer hold up for 2 round and win the 3rd round while discarding heart from dummy.

		Dummy
		♠ 7 6
		♥ 10 6 5 4
		♦ A K Q 10 9 5
		♣ 6
	You
	♠ J954
	♥ K92
	♦ 43
	♣ A J 43

Contract 3NT. Declarer then run 6 diamond tricks, what's defensive plan?.

A novice defender will give an encourage signal for heart by discarding the ♥9 and then leave the ♣ A alone. Declarer then exit with club to west, who cash the spade and has to play a heart to the fork. Even if declarer can read the position correctly, west actually could beat the contract.

Here are the logic.

West is the victim of the end-play. If declarer hold the ♣K outside of ♥AQ, nothing can be done. Contract can't be beaten. However if declarer just has the ♣Q instead of ♣K, then can throw his winner and retain the ♣Ax. He will win with ♣A and play club to east ♣K who will play the heart through declarer. So, sometimes the winner shall be threw. Here are the complete distribution

	♠ 7 6
	♥ 10 6 5 4
	♦ A K Q 10 9 5
	♣ 6
West		East
♠ J 9 5 4		♠ K Q 3 2
♥ K 9 2		♥ 873
♦ 4 3		♦ 76
♣ A J 4 3		♣ K x x x
	Declarer
	♠ A 10 8
	♥ A Q 6
	♦ J 5 2
	♣ Q 10 7 2

Losing Squeeze Card

Playing with robot will make you stress. I found an interesting hand during my play in Bridge Base Online (BBO) with a robot there.

Partner robot, open a strong NT (15-17) and i have the following hand,

♠ K Q 3 ♥ Q J 9 ♦ A K 3 ♣ K 9 5 4

I directly bid 6NT. Here are the hands.

	Dummy
	♠ K Q 3
	♥ Q J 9
	♦ A K 3
	♣ K 9 5 4
	Declarer
	♠ A 9 8 2
	♥ A K 8 6
	♦ J 4 2
	♣ A 7

Robot won with the King di dummy?!. Then run 4 times hearts. West follow 3 times, discard one of its clubs. Robot now continue with 3 round of spade, unfortunately the suit didn't break evenly, when East still hold the last spade. Meanwhile robot has been destroy the club establishment as it has been threw on the 4th heart although West now only 2 club left before cashing ♣ A.

Robot try to drop the diamond, but the queen still in their seat and robot fail to land the contract.

Actually, there are many ways to land the contract. After cashing the ♣ A, actually contract is still in controlled situation. Knowing that West hold 5 clubs, robot can play its losing squeeze card, spade, squeezing West if he hold the ♦ Q or endplaying East if he hold that card.

The simple way is to let west win the first trick. He will be squeeze when robot runs its winner. Here are the complete distribution.

	Dummy

	♠ K Q 3
	♥ Q J 9
	♦ A K 3
	♣ K 9 5 4
West		East
♠ 5 4		♠ J1076
♥ 10 3 2		♥ 754
♦ Q 7 6		♦ 10985
♣ QJ1063		♣ 82
	Declarer
	♠ A 9 8 2
	♥ A K 8 6
	♦ J 4 2
	♣ A 7

Play According to Contract

Indonesian Bridge League, a new way to select the team to represent Indonesia has just been started last week. In qualification round, we found out the distribution below. Most contracts were 6♦, and one pair reached 7♦.

	Dummy
	♠ A J 7 6
	♥ A 6
	♦ A J 5
	♣ A K J 6
	Declarer
	♠ K 5
	♥ 9 2
	♦ K Q 10 9 3 2
	♣ 7 4 3

Contract 6♦. On the bidding, North started with strong (1♣ precision, or 2NT ), East overcall with 2♥. The slam was played either in South or in North.

I was a declarer in the South and received a ♥7 as opening lead. I play the Ace and keep the ♥9 in my hand. Draw 2 rounds of trump, which divided evenly. I continue to play a small heart from dummy, lucky me as East play the ♥J, and won the trick and at the same time was threw-in. So, I claimed immediately.

In case East played small and West won with ♥10, I would be on test. How do you execute in case West play a small club? There are 2 reasonable ways to fulfill the contract. First play 2 rounds of club, if the queen does not fall, you have to finesse the spade. Other choice is to try to ruff the spade, when the queen falls, you are home. If the queen is still there, then play all of your remaining trumps and decide how cards are distributed outside.

Franky Karwur, one of Indonesian top bridge play were facing a grandslam in diamond for the distribution above. How will you bring home the contract when heart as opening lead?

After winning the heart lead, Franky played the ♣A, when ♣10 drops, he countinued with the King. Wow... the ♣Q fell down. Franky then played 3 rounds of spade and ruff it. When West has a Queen guarded, he claimed for a simple squeeze. A logic play from one of Indonesian top bridge player. Congratulation Franky.

Here are the complete distribution

	Dummy
	♠ A J 7 6
	♥ A 6
	♦ A J 5
	♣ A K J 6
West		East
♠ Qxxx		♠ 7 6 3
♥ 1075		♥ KQJxxx
♦ 86		♦ xx
♣ 9xxx		♣ Q10
	Declarer
	♠ K 5 ♥ 9 2 ♦ K Q 10 9 3 2 ♣ 7 4 3

Avoidance Play and Suit Handling

Every time you bring the contract, you have to handle it carefully. I found out a passive lead on the contract below, but need a careful execution to bring home the contract. North started with 1D (Precision) and as South I responded 1H (may be 3 cards), when North supported 2H, I close the auction with 3NT. West, chose to start with middle spade and now your time to save the contract.

	Dummy
	♠ A J 7 6
	♥ A J 9 7
	♦ K 5
	♣ 8 6 5
	Declarer
	♠ K Q 5
	♥ 10 4 2
	♦ 9 2
	♣ A K 9 4 3

Contract 3NT.

Thanks to the lead as diamond lead will destroy the chance. However, you still have to play it carefully. Have you made a reasonable plan?

There are 2 suits where you may get additional tricks, namely heart and club. However, you have to avoid west get the lead.

What is your hope on this lay out? First, west should not have both honor in heart. In case west doesn't have any heart honor, then you shall pray that east hold the ♣ Q two or three times. Then, how do you execute it?

After winning spade opening lead in South, you should start with a small heart to the 9. Assume this fail, and east return club. Winning it, play another low heart (!!!). When west follows with heart honor, you save the contract by 4 tricks in spade, 3 in hearts and 2 in clubs. The heart handling is the highest percentage play to get 3 tricks with that combination. If you play the ♥ 10 on the first or second time then you you need another luck in club.

If the second heart finesse fail, a small club return from east shall be won and play the 3rd round in the hope that east hold the last club. If east play the ♣ Q on the second club, you may leave him winning that trick. The idea is to prevent west from getting the lead.

However, there was no reward to my careful play because west hold the ♥ K 8, so the player who started with ♥ 10 also won the contract. However the careful play will win the game in the long run.

A designed hand

How do you feel as defender when facing a hand that's designed for declarer to land his/her contract? I found it many times and holding quite a bunch of high cards, I was threw in every time I won a trick. But this case, I was in dummy and saw my partner bring home the contract. Here are the complete distribution. For your information, the hand was shuffled manually.

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

Contract 3NT.

How do you bring the contract if ♦3 is the opening lead? In executing any contract, you have to make a plan. When you find out a difficult situation, you need to make some assumptions of card and be optimistic.

Seven tricks are in sight, 2 from spade, 2 from heart, 1 from diamond and 2 from clubs. What is your assumption on this lay out? First, west should have many high points so that east cannot attack you. Here are the assumptions: ♥ K should be with west (max 3 cards) as well as ♣ K. But the ♣ J shall be with east. Because your 4th club is too small then you need to pray the ♠ Q to drop in second round. Otherwise you need a defensive error.

So, you win ♦ Q with Ace and play two rounds of spade and see west's ♠ Q drop. Then play ♥ A and small heart (♥ J also okay, but I prefer small one). Best defense west plays small and declarer win ♥ Q and cash the ♠ J for a heart discard, west will have difficulties in finding discard. If west discard his "meaningless" club, he presents the contract to declarer. Next play the ♣ 10 for a finesse. West can't escape from end play.

First question: Why small heart at trick 4? By playing small heart you are intending to play the queen from dummy. If you play the jack, then you are not confidence enough to overtake it. If west play low on ♥ J and you play small from dummy, you bound to fail with best defense. Can you see it?

Second question: can you fulfill the contract without diamond lead? I leave it to you.

Another Interesting Hand

In favorable vulnerability, right hand opponent open with strong NT (15-17), I hold ♠ 3 ♥Q 3 ♦AKJ873 ♣ 9763 and overcall 3D. All pass. West started with ♥5. Plan your play!

	Dummy
	♠ Q J 7 2
	♥ 10 8 7 2
	♦ 6 5
	♣ A Q J
	Declarer
	♠ 3
	♥ Q 3
	♦ AKJ873
	♣ 9763

East won with the ♥ K and switch to a small diamond. Not knowing the position of high cards yet, I chose to play the Ace and continue with club finesse. East won with the King and return a small spade. This return will bring home the contract. Won with the ♠ A, West return another club. Here the position after 5 tricks and defender has won 3 tricks.

	Dummy
	♠ Q J 7
	♥ 10 8 7
	♦ 6
	♣ A
	Declarer
	♠
	♥ Q
	♦ KJ873
	♣ 97

How do you continue? Ruffing finesse spade for club discard? Not logic. If you want to do that it means club divided evenly. So finesse diamond, draw one more round of trump and play heart. East was end-play. Here are the complete hand

	Dummy
	♠ Q J 7 2
	♥ 10 8 72
	♦ 6 5
	♣ A Q J
West		East
♠ A 10 6 5		♠ K x x x
♥ J 6 5		♥ A K 9 x-
♦ x x		♦ Q x x
♣ 10 x x x		♣ K x
	Declarer
	♠ 3
	♥ Q 3
	♦ AKJ873
	♣ 9 7 6 3

The interesting aspect is when East return club at trick 4. Won in dummy, finesse a diamond then declarer play a spade. If West follows the rule of second hand low, he gives declarer the contract. West will be squeezed in 3 suits: club, heart and spade.

Many ways to bring home the contract

Last night I played online bridge in Bridge Base, famous with BBO. I found out an interesting board as below. You West Partner East

You	North	Partner	South
1H	pass	2H	pass
4H	pass	pass	pass

Here are the complete deal.

	Dummy
	♠ K 7 5 2
	♥ J 8 7 2
	♦ Q J 7
	♣ 8 2
West		East
♠ AJ109		♠ 8 6 3
♥ Q 10 5		♥ K
♦ A1065		♦ K9832
♣ 7 6		♣ KJ54
	Declarer
	♠ Q4
	♥ A 9 6 4 3
	♦ 4
	♣ A Q 10 9 3

I have to bring the game contract in heart. West start with ♣ 7. After winning East' ♣ K, I play Ace of trump and continue. West win the 2nd round and play a third heart. I won in dummy and finesse club to bring home the contract. On the other table, West start with ♦ A and continue. South ruffs and then play the Ace of trump. When the King drops from East, South continues with a small spade. West is in dilemma. If he plays the Ace, then declarer just need a club finesse to land the contract. Because 2 more club loosers can be discarded from diamond and ♠ K. So, West plays small spade. Won with the King, declarer then plays the ♦Q to discard his ♠ Q. Finesse club and cross ruff club and spade and West discards all his spade during the process. Declarer has 9 tricks so far and just need 1 more trick. Here are the 3 cards ending when declarer play spade from dummy.

	Dummy
	♠ 7 5
	♥ J
	♦ -
	♣ -
West		East
♠ -		♠ 8
♥ Q 10		♥ -
♦ 10		♦ 9 2
♣ -		♣ -
	Declarer
	♠ -
	♥ 9 6
	♦ -
	♣ 10

When East play ♠ 8, declarer knows that the 8 is the highest spade. If he ruffs, west will overruff and draw his trumps, so he discards his club winner. If trump was 2-2, then he is safe as he will get his 10th trick. If East started with his lonely ♥K, then by discarding his ♥J will win en-passan. So, there are many ways to land the contract.