Bridge Bites

BRIDGE BITES #27

THREE DEGREES OF BACON

Brian Gunnell

♠ AT2

♥ Q6

♦ KQJT73

♣ 84

E-W Vulnerable

South West North East

1♠

Pass 2♠ 3♦ Pass

3♥ Pass Pass Pass

This deal features an astonishing defense by West, we’ll get to the winning play by degrees.

Dummy

West East

Declarer

♠ 84

♥ KJT987

♦ A6

♣ T52

West’s lead is the Spade Seven, won in Dummy.

In the first degree, you are Declarer. With that running Diamond suit you have loads of winners, but the danger is that E-W will get five tricks first. You can try for a Club ruff in Dummy, but alert defenders will switch to trumps (being sure to hold up the ♥A until the second round). Nonetheless, at Trick 2, you lead a Club hoping that something good will happen.

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In the second degree, you are East, trying to thwart Declarer.

♠ AT2

♥ Q6

♦ KQJT73

♣ 84

Dummy

West East

Declarer

♠ KQJ93

♥ A3

♦ 982

♣ K73

Dummy’s ♠A wins the first trick, and a Club is led, won by West’s Jack. West shifts to a trump, and you have a dilemma:

- If Declarer has the ♣A, and West the ♦A, then the winning defense is to take the ♥A immediately and play another Heart, stopping the Club ruff.

- If Declarer has the ♦A, and West the ♣A, then the winning defense is to duck the first trump, win the next Club, cash ♥A and then a third Club.

Do you have any good ideas as to which Ace West has? No, neither do we! To bring home the bacon the defense must go to the third degree. This time, you are West, trying to help East to thwart Declarer.

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♠ AT2

♥ Q6

♦ KQJT73

♣ 84

♠ 765

♥ 542

♦ 54

♣ AQJ96

Dummy

West East

Declarer

You lead a Spade won by Dummy’s Ace. Next a Club is led from Dummy, low from Partner and the Ten from Declarer. You could routinely win that with the Jack, and that is exactly what 99.99% of the world’s bridge population would do. But you are made of sterner stuff and decide to do some thinking (often a good idea in this game). What are your thoughts?

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