Dubious Logic

Seasonal Ruffing Disorder

A strange malaise seems to have broken out at the Ipswich and Kesgrave club over December. It is true that seasonal disruption has struck the club - one has only to note that the Christmas Party is the second weekend in February (that's last year's). But I have in mind something that's happening at the tables; Seasonal Ruffing Disorder.

Where duplicate pairs is played, overtricks are of elevated importance, so all players should be on the lookout. I'm not thinking of taking any extra risks, just timing the play to maximise your chances when the lie is favourable. Case one:

For what it's worth I would say that East owed his partner another bid; 5♠ fits the bill well - the conventional move to direct partner to two losers in the opponent's suit. However this lack of ambition proved well judged; after winning the club lead, West contented himself to taking a heart ruff in dummy and conceding two diamonds.

It looks clear to continue by ruffing a club at trick two and only then lay down the spade king. Even when North shows out it's still relatively simple to take twelve tricks; heart king and ruff a second club, when the suit divides 4-3 one can abandon the heart ruff to use dummy's two entries to establish then cash the clubs with trumps drawn. The knack to these hands is keeping a proper count on your tricks; here you have seven trumps, two hearts and three clubs. Taking a heart ruff will give you eight trumps but only one club to go with your two hearts. Whilst the heart finesse (to discard a diamond) is a needless risk, attempting to establish the clubs is completely safe.

Likewise in defence, one must be aware of where declarer's tricks will come from – and keep the same count. Case two:

West bid hearts and diamonds and arrived in the heart game. North led a club and rather ominously you might have thought, declarer played low from dummy and ruffed in hand. He followed with the heart king, taken by North. It was the critical point, if clubs were 4-4 – and, at the moment, only the defence knew that for sure – then declarer would have three tricks there, five trumps (including ruffs) and possibly four diamond tricks. As they couldn't afford to duck a spade, the defence should cash it now. In fact, the same player held both the spade ace and four diamonds to the knave – he didn't find it easy to come down to four cards after all East's hearts and clubs were played…

Published Saturday 6.Jan.2007