Placing the cards

Dummy appears and you take stock. One of the first things is to assess the missing critical cards; those that you need to be in a particular hand for success. If you are to make a trick with a king, then the ace must lie before it, ace-queen to be two tricks? Then the king must be onside. Sometimes it's hard to see what you need well-placed – take this hand from a recent Crockfords match, North-South only are vulnerable:

  • 53
  • AKQ42
  • 2
  • K8732
N
W
E
S
  • A962
  • J987
  • 10853
  • 10
West
North
East
South
1
2
3
Pass
4
Pass
Pass
X
All Pass

East's 3♥ was in the modern idiom; a raise based on playing rather than high card strength. With more values she could have chosen between 3♦ (three trumps) and 2NT (four). With the likelihood of no great defence opposite, I raised to game more as an obstructive shot – and got doubled for my temerity.

Fortunately the defence never played trumps and I happily cross-ruffed ten tricks but against you they always defend better. Let's say North cashes the diamond ace and switches to a trump – how do you play? Can you see the critical card?

South's double pretty much guarantees the club ace, so at least your king will score. If you're allowed to ruff two more and the suit divides 4-3, you should be able to enjoy the fifth. That will be satisfying; five trumps, two ruffs, two black winners and the long club is ten. But… What happens if clubs are not 4-3? Then opponents will play trumps twice and you'll be a trick short. That was indeed the case:

  • 874
  • 105
  • AKQJ97
  • 54
  • 53
  • AKQ42
  • 2
  • K8732
N
W
E
S
  • A962
  • J987
  • 10853
  • 10
  • KQJ10
  • 63
  • 64
  • AQJ96

But something strange will happen; South wins the club and fires back a trump, you win on table, ruff a diamond, club, then the third round of diamonds:

  • 874
  • ---
  • KQJ9
  • ---
  • 53
  • AK
  • ---
  • K87
N
W
E
S
  • A962
  • 9
  • 108
  • ---
  • KQJ10
  • ---
  • ---
  • QJ9

West will ruff this diamond but what can South spare? A club? King and another sets up the long card, a spade? Now ducking allows declarer to ruff that suit good. All the spades are critical cards here - if South's were a tiny bit weaker, North could play a card higher than the nine and prevent West ducking when South parts with one – the ace is needed as an entry. Declarer must play well too; he must never cash the ♣K early - and he must also 'guess' trumps.

When North leads a heart at trick two, he must insert the ten. Wasting the knave will give a North a trick with the ten when South doesn't play another trump but obliges you to try a cross-ruff. Alternatively, if South has the heart ten, you must be in dummy for trick three to play a club – a losing 'finesse', nine, ten, queen would be a disaster. How do you know who has the heart ten? I suggest you mentally toss a coin…

Published Saturday 11.Nov.2006