Dubious Logic

Small Beer

There are some reflexes that are hard to fight. Most of these serve us well, some even all the time. When we first learn bridge we are embarrassed if we waste an ace when we're fourth to play and a lower card will do. But winning cheaply is not always right. Take this recent deal from a local league match, you are South defending one no-trump:

At game all in third seat, West opened a 15-17 no-trump and all passed. I led the diamond knave; king, ace, low. Partner returned the three, ducked by East and I won the seven to clear the suit. Despite the combined 24 HCP, there is no obvious route to seven winners but playing clubs was good enough despite the blockage in hearts and East emerged with eight tricks and +120.

True, north might play a spade when in with the ♦A but South's error was clearer: the return of the ♦3 when the two had appeared marked North with three diamonds and I should have retained the ♦7. If declarer adopts the same line, attacking clubs before unblocking hearts, the defence can prevail. When North wins the ♦8 in this position:

East has no good discard: a spade allows North to play the suit creating two tricks for the defence there and if East parts with a club, he gives up the second trick in the suit, a heart discard is a similar loss. North simply plays a club and East has to lead away from the spade suit to his detriment.

Small beer? Perhaps but our team-mates had +100, we lost an IMP and the match was a tie.

For readers online at http://www.dubiouslogic.com/bridge/eadt/ there is a companion piece via a team-mate in a national competition, also defending one no-trump.

Bonus Deal

There wasn't space for both deals but they make a nice pair. Also I didn't explain that the title had a more than a little to do with the beer card in the first example.

Nick Smith lost a very tight Crockfords match on this deal – first as a problem (I've had to make up some spots, hand records not available):

Partner opens 1♥ – five cards, limited to 15 HCP – next hand overcalls 1NT and plays there. As South you lead the ♥Q and see:

You're on lead at tricks two and three as well after both your hearts hold. You switch to the ♣8, queen, king, ace. Declarer advances ♦3 – are you high or low?

Presented as an email problem (no resolution without answers) I found this quite difficult. I thought the most dangerous case was where the closed hand had ♦Ax, something like ♠QJxx ♥A9xx ♦Ax ♣AJx.

Nick thought so too, so he rose with an honour, low, ace – ouch. Partner reverted to hearts, declarer taking the ace and continuing diamonds. Of course South had to duck a round and, with this taxi to dummy, declarer took a spade finesse. He next cashed the club knave and exited with the ♣4 – this was the position:

North had unblocked the ♣9 but Nick, telling the story against himself, covered the club four with the five. North had to win, could cash the heart but had to yield two more spade tricks, three in all from the suit. Those went with two clubs and one in each red suit to make +90 and a match deciding score.

The full deal:

I tried to side with Nick: surely his partner could have thrown that club? But he sprang to North's defence; unless he keeps both clubs he can be end-played with a heart.

Published Saturday 13.Mar.2010