Conserve entries in hand with long suit
Board 7 Dlr S All Vul
NORTH
South opens 1© and North with 13 TP in support of hearts has enough for game even opposite a minimum opening, but should not bid game immediately, as that would show a weak freak. Better to shift to 2¨ and next bid 4© over South’s likely rebid of 2NT, showing a balanced 12-14 (Yes, the club holding is a bit scary and South may prefer 3¨, ideally promising 4 cards.)
West leads out §AK and seeing no future in clubs with only a doubleton in dummy, switches to ªJ.
As declarer, you can count five winners in trumps, two in spades and three more in diamonds after the defenders' ace is driven out. On the other hand, there are two club losers, one diamond loser and one eventual loser in spades - too many.
You are happy to lose a diamond as you will create three winners - a good investment. The problem is therefore to avoid losing a spade. How? Declarer's third spade can be thrown on dummy's fourth diamond if the timing is right.
In which hand did you win the spade? In your own, I hope. Remember the useful principle of conserving the entries to the hand with the long suit you plan to establish (here dummy with its diamonds).
Do you draw trumps immediately? Yes - you are not planning to use dummy's trumps and it could be very dangerous to play four rounds of diamonds if the opponents still hold any trumps. Draw trumps, taking care to note that this requires three rounds.
What next? It is very important to play on diamonds now. Lose early if there is a profit in it. If instead you play your winning spade, you will be exposing your spade loser. And when the opponents win ¨A they will be able to play their spade winner. Playing honours first from the short hand and for as many rounds as it takes, drive out their ¨A.
Then you can safely win the return and throw away your spade loser as planned. Making 10 tricks for +620.
¨ How can the defenders punish you if you won the first spade in dummy? Sometimes, those capricious bridge gods help only those who help themselves.
Board 8 Dlr W Nil Vul
NORTH
West opens 1©. With heart support and 11 TP, East makes an invitational jump raise to 3©. Now, with 15 TP opposite an announced 10-12 TP, West has just enough to accept the invitation and bids 4©.
North leads §J, the top card of her strongest sequence. After two rounds of winning clubs, South, seeing no more clubs in dummy, should switch to ªQ. Declarer has already lost two clubs and must lose to the trump ace. There are two other eventual losers in spades to be dealt with. How?
You are now expert at seeing they can both be discarded on diamonds. (Don't forget to play ¨K first - honour from the short hand – followed by two more rounds to discard a spade!).
And you can afford to draw trumps first because you still hold one high spade guarding your losers. As it happens, you will survive on this deal if you don't. Do you see why? The bridge gods, like others, do not always punish us for our sins. 10 tricks and +420 for your non-vulnerable game.
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