Dubious Logic

Suffolk v Cambs and Hunts (2)

Last week I promised some admissions from the Eastern Counties League match against Cambs and Hunts. One of my new year's resolutions was to delay playing trumps until later in the hand, another was to open up discussion of declarer play with partners and team-mates. This is a bit unusual and, to be frank, not that easy to do. One feels quite vulnerable in these situations and, in the normal course of events, grateful for a partner that doesn't look too closely at one's play. Here however, I thought I was on safe ground even though I hadn't been successful.

North led the heart ten and according to their methods, that showed either shortness or the knave. The lead ran to my king and I took stock. It seemed unlikely that I could go down unless the club ace was offside, a finesse of the heart nine failed and trumps were 3-1. With this dangerous set of circumstances in mind, I planned a safety finesse in trumps. I would play ♠A and low to the knave, if that lost it was odds on that the lead was from length and North would hold the heart knave as indicated; I would make four trumps and two ruffs, two hearts and two diamonds.

My main plan faltered when North showed out on the second spade. But I was far from done; I led a club to the king and (sadly) the ace. North continued a heart and I inserted the nine to force the ace. South took his trump queen and played a club which I ruffed. I cashed the heart queen and came to hand with the ♦K to play trumps, reaching this position:

I would have been OK if North had held the ♦Q as she had to keep the last heart to stop dummy's six becoming a winner – indeed, had she had had any four diamonds to the same effect. There had been no need to try the club ten for if South had QJ of that suit, neither player could keep diamonds. Alas, none of these chance came through. The club minor honours were divided, South had ♦Q84. I threw myself on the mercy of team-mates.

Peter Sutcliffe and Peter Gemmell put up much the same defence except that when in with the club ace, they continued another club. Declarer had no real recourse but to ruff both clubs in dummy returning with the diamond king. That left:

She was stranded on table and had to play away from either red suit and so unable to take advantage of the one thing she knew for sure; that North held the heart ten and could be finessed. This stronger defence had caused my pretty extra chances to vanish. I was chastised, rightly it seemed, for defaulting on my resolution to leave trumps alone – playing hearts at trick two was the indicated line. True, I might have gone down to ♠Q92 and heart shortage in North, but releasing trump control so soon is bad on first principles.

Well what is the right way to play this hand? Actually I think there is a middle way: play to the spade king at trick two and lead a club. If the club ace is foul the defence cannot play trumps or diamonds and can no longer take two ruffs – you're in control.

Published Saturday 12.Feb.2005