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Calming those Nerves!

Well, bridge is not stress-free. While you all have, I hope, understanding partners, who will be most sympathetic when something goes wrong in your bidding, defence or declarer play, you do wish you could do better. Can you?

 

Looking at dummy for the first time, your mind might wander off (it should not!) as to how if the Q was favourably placed for your side, you could make at least 12 tricks in either clubs or diamonds. However, after West had led K, you can only count 8 certain tricks in your 3NT game. That’s a worry!

You are playing Pairs and with holds in both majors and clubs, you thought 3NT would be a good place to play after your partner’s 3 response (10-11 hcp and no 4 card or longer major). What then is your plan to make your contract, maybe even some overtricks!?

Four diamond tricks, two top club tricks and two aces in the major suits. That is not enough. South wished they were in 5, maybe even 6 of a minor. They remembered the guideline about cashing tricks in the suit where you have certain winners. So, they won trick 1 with A (no choice, there!) and played four rounds of diamonds finishing in the North hand. East discarded two spades saying they liked that suit while West also discarded one spade.

No help there about the club suit. One of the defenders did not hold the Q! You wish one of them have discarded a club to show no interest in that suit. South became more nervous and called for the J from dummy. East followed with 3. More nerves from South. What to play? They chose the K…and wish they had not!

 

Stuck in the South hand, they cashed a second high club and exited a club to East’s Q. A second round of hearts saw West claim the rest of the tricks (down 2). Oh, South could have cashed the A first but that would have still meant defeat in the game. North was understanding.

Do you see what South could/should have done at trick 2? They could tell the success of the contract depended on not losing a trick to the Q. Playing out diamonds was fine but before they did so, they should have played A. On a good day, the Q will appear as a singleton and all South’s worries would be over.

Not today but the news of West discarding would be just as good for South. They could then play a diamond to the ace and play J. East will withhold their Q but South could finesse again and then play a fourth round of clubs to their king, bringing down the Q under their K. Now 3 more rounds of diamonds, 5^th round of clubs and A. 11 tricks…better score than being in 5 or 5 and some compensation for missing a small slam in either minor. Also:

Even if the Q did not appear and both defenders followed with a low club, you could delay the big decision until after you have played your winning diamonds. You then play J. On a good day, Q will appear doubleton on your right, or East might misdefend when they had started with Q and 2 small clubs (with the sight of those clubs in dummy, they should play low in perfect tempo). If not, then, well, now would come the big decision. However, on this day, all your troubles would have been over at trick 2. 2 overtricks not 2 undertricks…and you would be perfectly relaxed.

“Hard slam to bid, partner” North would be heard to say. “Yet, you played the contract well.” If only.

Richard Solomon   

 

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