Another tricky trump thing

Some plays can be made purely on routine; you are defending and dummy has a weakness and you need quick tricks, then you lead through the closed hand and up it. You either discover these intuitive ploys for yourself or, after they are shown to you, they become second nature.

Last week's article featured a deal where the defender had to make an unintuitive play, that of baring to a singleton trump ace, because to win it any earlier would grant declarer an additional entry. Whilst retaining an ace as the last defensive trump is normally bad – declarer doesn't need to draw it as it is a trick anyhow – precise calculation showed that general considerations were secondary.

Trumps are tricky things. Sometimes you just have to get down to working out the variations to make sure of your correct play, try it as West here:

  • QJ42
  • 107
  • AQ9762
  • A
  • 1095
  • KQ98
  • 10
  • K10876
N
W
E
S

Love All

West
North
East
South
—
—
1
2
Pass
4
End

South's two spades was weak but the style was sound and North raised to game without hesitation. For a lead, you looked no further than the singleton ten of diamonds. Dummy's holding in that suit was a slight surprise and the first trick went ten-queen-king-ruff. Declarer crossed to the club ace, partner showing three, and tried to cash the diamond ace throwing a heart from hand. Naturally you ruffed, what do you play next?

South's hand appears to be 6=3=0=4 with the top trumps and at most the club queen or knave. The majority of his tricks must come from trumps and it looks automatic to play a spade. You can cash two hearts first if you like, but it won't influence the opposition trick count. Unfortunately declarer is in control; he can draw two trumps in dummy, lead the nine of diamonds forcing a cover, ruff a club to table and exploit the seven of diamonds in the same fashion, establishing the six, with another club ruff to cash it. That's six trumps and two ruffs, the club ace and the diamond six – ten tricks.

How can you stop this? Well, you have to give declarer a ruff before he's ready. Cash two hearts (to stop him throwing a heart as he sets up the diamond) and get a club lead from partner. In order to set up the diamonds your trumps must be drawn but that leaves only one in dummy and he needs two. So lead a top heart and follow with a small one; partner will almost have to play a club through and four spades will be defeated.

Published Saturday 2.Jun.2007