Dubious Logic

Counting

A recent match prompted a comment from one of the opponents that, as a bridge teacher, he was always on the lookout for suitable deals for his students. Were I still faced with that prospect I might indeed have chosen one or two myself.

In days gone by we were taught that when declaring no-trumps you should count winners and at suit play, losers. That always was a simplification and in truth, you should keep a count of both whether there is a trump suit or not. My first lesson for today:

North opened with a 3♠ pre-empt, East doubled for take-out and West's 4♥ closed proceedings (3NT was obviously a serious contender). North led the club eight, low from dummy, knave, ace. With the potential that this was a short suit, West set about trumps on her small card lead, North's queen appeared immediately. So far, so good, what next?

A quick trick count – which should have been made at trick one of course – shows that you can establish six black suit tricks losing the lead once. You need just four from trumps and that means you can draw them all. Can you lose three tricks? No – the diamond suit cannot be exploited for more than two for the defence. So draw trumps and wittily take a spade finesse. In fact, at both tables declarer set about scoring some tricks on a cross-ruff (though the good news in clubs had not been discovered at the second). On the early play above, West now played ace of spades and another (the nine!) risking both a first round ruff and in the longer term, losing a spade, a diamond and two ruffs (two clubs or a one of each black suit).

West arrived in 3NT and, though he had bid clubs, received the ♣3 lead. The initial move was to come to hand and try a club, a partially deceptive nine. North won the ten, South following, and switched to the heart knave, covered and won by South's ace for a continuation of the heart ten. It should have been clear now that North had started with short hearts, but West ducked and fortunately for declarer, South played another, North pitching a diamond.

Despite the high cards, 3NT was always difficult and the major part of its chance rested with the spade suit as there were not enough entries to establish the clubs. But an entry had appeared in hearts and now, ace and another club would have put North on lead with the defence's fourth trick but with the ♦A still in hand, West would have nine. At the table West didn't revise his trick count and continued to play on spades. Curiously, both declarers failed in this contract; in the replay East declared and received a heart lead to the king as was, essentially, in the same position. New match, same theme:

North led a club and though there are many plans possible, West won the ace and tried the spade finesse which was successful. The ace of spades dropped the king and that figured to be a true card (most of the time). I expect you know what to do now: with seven outside tricks, if you can draw trumps you will be home. The most flexible way to do that is start with a low one towards the QJ. When that wins you play one back discovering North in addition to her presumed five spades, has ♥K1083. But there's no worry – play another heart – as long as you get three tricks there you are fine. Despite the shortages and voids, this is just a hand for calmly counting your tricks and drawing trumps.

Coda

As this was supposed to be something of a simple teaching article, I didn't go into too much detail and didn't give full hand diagrams. There was an interesting side to the first hand however, the full deal looking like:

The early play was as described; club 9, 2, knave, ace, then low heart collecting the queen, followed by spade towards the ace, then this peculiar exit with the spade nine on which South discarded an encouraging diamond. I played another spade as North and this was ruffed low and over-ruffed (I have the spots wrong as South was able to use the next higher spot, but it makes no odds), now we were no longer able to defeat the contract. However, had South pitched a club and the defence and declarer's play proceeded along the same lines, South can beat 4♥ by refusing to over-ruff dummy's five of trumps, instead, throwing his last club. There is no way to get back to hand to ruff the last spade and draw trumps without sustaining two club ruffs or one and another spade loser or losing control.

Regrettably I suppose this is the proper place to admit that I was the declarer in the second hand who failed to make 3NT even though I isolated the heart suit by covering the knave. Note that after the defence has managed a second heart, a diamond switch ensures the defeat of the contract. Looking at it now it all seems very easy. At the table I was convinced North held long spades and could be endplayed. This was wrong on more than the simple fact that he didn't – after cashing the spades I would be reduced to either singleton ace of diamonds or pitching a club in which case North could exit accordingly. I seem prone to forgetting I have to discard on the throw in trick.

I also took a great deal of time to discover the only safe way of playing 4♥ on the third deal. In the other room after a weak two diamond opener in front of the 5=4=0=4, the auction proceeded, double and a jump to four hearts. That got West understandably interested and the resulting contract of six hearts had no play against trumps 4-1.

Published Saturday 16.Apr.2005