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Who said “Never”?

A strange event happened at the bridge table earlier this week. To be precise, there were three strange events, all centred around one theme. Before you guess the theme, what would you bid here?

 

With a heart fit, there is a temptation to get rather enthused by this hand. A couple of aces and the K opposite would make slam rather good. Since you are going to game (even with only 10 hcp…who counts hcps?), you might try 4^th suit 2 to see what partner has to say. If you did, they would reply 3, showing a 4 card diamond suit.

Suddenly, those slam dreams evaporate as there is no room for that K (1 promised at least a 5-card suit), even if partner possessed aces. Back to reality. 4 now surely. Well, the auction I saw ended more quickly and not where one would expect:

 

The level was right but dummy was somewhat surprising when partner led A. At my suggestion (4), East switched to a low club and at trick 3, I played K to shorten the trumps in dummy. It looks like declarer can survive by not ruffing (discarding a spade!). With both K and then Q falling in two rounds,  can North make this odd-looking contract? South’s remaining trump is too small and the 8 in the West hand would ensure the contract could not be made. However, if West does ruff K and discards a club on A, they could ruff a spade and ruff a club in dummy, conceding just to Q and make 10 tricks. A diamond continuation at trick 2 would have made it too tough to make 10 tricks. 

The play did not go quite like the above but the end result was 1 down. Meanwhile, picture a low diamond lead to 4. South can ruff and play 2 rounds of spades losing to K. East is now out of safe exit cards and South will find they need not even worry about a possible heart loser (either K or Q will provide a discard). An alternative is for South to discard their club on the second round of diamonds. Only a sneaky low club from West at trick 1 to J and East's Q (to be followed by A and a second club from East) gives the defence any chance. 

That’s all much more straightforward than struggling and probably failing in 4.

Later on came another surprising dummy.

 

 Are you closing in on the link between these boards? Obviously, North expected their partner to have heaps of spades (how many spades make “a heap?”) . Even if one thought the North hand was too strong for an immediate jump to 5, that would seem the likely direction second time round.

While an initial club lead from West would have given South no chance, South could ruff the opening  heart lead, play A and ruff a second diamond and then ruff a second heart with A. Another diamond ruff is followed by Q with South able to regain the lead after losing 2 heart tricks, draw trumps and claim. Had a club been led initially, East can give West a club ruff to beat this odd-looking contract. An initial trump lead would also give South no chance as long as East withholds K.

Meanwhile, there are different ways for North to make 12 tricks in clubs depending on the opening lead. It is true one’s partner will not always put down Kx as trump support opposite 8 in one’s own hand but surely chances are much better when the 8-card suit is trumps?

8-card black suits abounded that evening. A further 8-card club suit was raised successfully to slam following a 4  natural opener. It just seems right never (if you can avoid it) having to put down an 8 card suit as dummy when it is not trumps.

Of course, there are times when you have no choice. Your partner opened either 1 or 4 and you had an interesting collection:

If they opened 1 and North ventured 1, you would pass the time (not "pass!") with x and hear 4 from partner. Time then or over an opening 4 to use Key Card. Partner showed two with the Q and it would be rather remiss to bid anything other than 7NT.

Your partner would ask for an extra-long table to place down dummy:

 

The complete saying must be “never put down an 8 card suit in dummy that is not trumps. It’s fine to put down one with 9 cards.”

Richard Solomon

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