Knowing how to ask yourselves the right questions and then answer them is the key to improve your chances on any bridge hand, be it as declarer or as defender.
I’ll give you a hand below, and a series of questions – like a riddle! Try to answer these questions by yourself. Then look at the answers, which will be presented together with the full deal.
At the end we’ll summarize a few important “Things to remember” for each problem. Enjoy!
Dealer West, N-S Vulnerable
West led the ♠4.
How many losers do you have?
How are opponents’ points divided?
Which card will you play from dummy?
You tried the ♠Q but East covered with the ♠K. Why didn’t West choose another lead, for instance Club?
Where is the ♣A?
Where is the ♣K?
Where is the ♣Q?
Where is the ♥K?
Where is the ♦Q?
How will you play?
How many losers do you have?
Five: 1 Spade, 1 Heart, 1 Diamond, 2 Clubs.
How are opponents’ points divided?
About 12 in West and 6 in East, judging from the bidding.
Which card will you play from dummy?
Try the ♠Q. Maybe the ♠K is with West and your ♠Q will gain you another trick.
You tried the ♠Q but East covered with the ♠K. Why didn’t West choose another lead, for instance Club?
From a sequence in Clubs, West would surely prefer a Club lead. We can infer from this that West is missing a Club honor – The ♣K, as with ♣AKQ, ♣AK or ♣KQ he would have most likely chosen a Club lead.
Where is the ♣A?
It is with West. East has shown approximately 6 points in the bidding, and already produced them: The ♠K and the ♣K. This means West has all the rest.
Who has the ♣K?
West, same reasoning as above.
Where is the ♣Q?
West, same as above.
Where is the ♥K?
West, same as above.
Where is the ♦Q?
West, same as above.
How will you play?
Since all the high cards are now marked, you can play the hand as if the cards were in the open: Win the ♠A and finesse to the ♦10 at trick 2. Cash the ♦K, return to hand with the ♥A and throw a Spade from dummy on the ♦A. You are now able to ruff your Spade and Diamond losers in dummy and lose just 2 Clubs and the ♥K.
Timing is important! Don’t play the ♥A earlier! You need it as an entry to the ♦A. Any other line you try – you lose 2 Clubs, 1 Spade and 1 Heart.
Things to remember
a. Always count the hand: And this time we count high cards. The lead helps again – It suggests that since West didn’t lead a Club – East must have an honor, the ♣K. That completes his 6 points from the bidding (together with the ♠K which you saw at trick 1).
b. West’s 3♠ bid is not a game invite. It is just a competitive bid, showing 6 cards in Spade. To invite, use Double as a general game try. If South had passed, you would need to bid 3♣/♦/♥ as a game try.
c. Plan the timing: You need a fast Spade discard to avoid losing a Spade. You must therefore keep the ♥A as an entry to your ♦A and discard your Spade loser on it.
Comments
3 responses to “Seeing through cards #5”
Rula1
These hands by Oren are the best thing on the exclusive site so far. Would like to see more of this and less of some of the other articles.
Baloona
You are amazing!!!! Love to read you article!
MatCauthon
These hands are amazing! There’s a mistake on #6 – East has the king of clubs.
Comments
3 responses to “Seeing through cards #5”
These hands by Oren are the best thing on the exclusive site so far. Would like to see more of this and less of some of the other articles.
You are amazing!!!! Love to read you article!
These hands are amazing! There’s a mistake on #6 – East has the king of clubs.