Welcome to Basement Bridge

Weekly updates from Kit Jackson offering hints and tips for the modern Bridge player. Enjoy!

Wednesday 2 May 2012

PLANNING AHEAD

"If you don't mind me saying so, Sir, it might be a good idea to try to make a plan when you're defending."
"D'ya think so, Jeeves?"
"Indeed I do, sir, indeed I do. Per example this hand from the Club Duplicate."
"When was that Jeeves?"
"Last night, Sir... If you can still recall...?"
"Oh yah, rather, Jeeves old fruit."
"As I recall, you held this hand and correctly opened a Weak 2 Diamonds:

xx
xxx
AKxxxx
xx

The bidding proceeded:
2D       -     2S -   PASS  -  3C
PASS  -    3NT  ALL PASS

I  led the 9D. This was Dummy:

Kx
Qxxx
Jx
AQxxx

You played the A, K  and a third diamond, declarer winning with the Q. Declarer took a losing S finesse into my hand, but alas I had no more D's and so was end-played with Declarer making a costly over-trick as a result."
"Dashed bad luck, eh, Jeevesy?"
"If I might suggest, sir -  there need be no element of luck in these matters at all. After a smidgin of thought."
"How so? Surely..."
"It's an open book, sir. First I did not support your D's therefore I most probably do not posses 3 of them. Therefore I must hold either 0, 1 or 2 of them. If I hold 0 or 1 there is precious little to be done. However if I hold 2 of them, as is likely on the lead, then declarer must surely hold Q10x. Consider the possibility of ducking at trick one. Then when Declarer takes his losing S finesse I still have a second D with which to maintain communication with your hand. I lead it, you NOW cash the A,K  and hey presto cash 3 more D's and declarer is now TWO off. Instead of plus 1!"
"Dashed clever. I say. Gosh. Now why didn't I think of a plan like that?"

No comments:

Post a Comment