Dubious Logic

Self analysis

There are many roads to improvement at this game. Playing with and against better players for example. Books and magazines – even the humble newspaper bridge column – should not be ignored. But perhaps the most essential is to adopt a self critical and receptive attitude. I know that criticism can be hard to take, from a friend, relative or complete stranger, let alone a bridge partner, so it is better to keep it to yourself. Submit the deals where things went wrong to your own analysis. Do not neglect the hands where though the outcome was favourable, you only just survived. I played this hand in a recent Crockfords round one match and had the feeling all was not quite right.

In the match both tables declared four hearts from the West cards. I received the lead of a small spade which ran to my nine. I next played a low heart to the ten and queen which held. Everything seemed rosy (remember warnings about complacency a month or so back?) and I cashed the trump ace. North showed out. No matter, I led a club for a finesse – if it lost North had no more trumps to play. It did lose and another spade was played. I ruffed a club and led a trump from dummy in this position, losing my second trick to the trump king.

It occurred to me that had South started with five clubs, a not impossible 2-4-2-5 shape, I would now be forced off. Fortunately he did not (he was 2-4-4-3) but I had mangled the play. It would have been very embarrassing to go down after such a fortuitous lead.

There are warning signs all over the early play. When the ten of hearts appears it is true North may have started with K10 alone but if that is the case then it will be hard to go off, consideration must be given to South having ducked. Furthermore, whenever you might potentially relinquish trump control you should double check your play. After the trump queen held, given the plan is to take a ruff in dummy, the club play should be attempted first. When this loses, win the spade in hand and advance a trump:

When North discards you can let this run, South cannot prevent you ruffing your club with the ace of trumps and drawing his last by returning to hand with a diamond (or a trump). So was the hold-up of the heart king good play – to give you a chance of engineering your own defeat?

Well no. Had he taken the king and returned his partner's suit what could you do? Trying to ruff a club in dummy would allow a defensive spade ruff, drawing trumps would leave you with too many losers unless diamonds were 3-3, which we know, they were not. I wonder if South's personal post mortem uncovered that one?

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Published Saturday 27.Oct.2001