BRIDGE BITES #43
|
THRUST AND PARRY
Brian Gunnell |
East made a couple of fine
defensive plays on this deal, but Declarer parried with some good plays of her
own, and eventually prevailed.
|
♠ 652
♥
Q543
♦
42
♣ QJT3 |
|
♠ KQJT93
♥
762
♦
5
♣ 842 |
Dummy
West East
Declarer |
♠ 4
♥
A98
♦
T9876
♣ A976 |
|
♠ A87
♥
KJT
♦
AKQJ3
♣ K5 |
|
West opens 2♠
showing a 6-card suit and
a weak hand. West leads the ♠K, and Declarer ducks the first round, just in
case West was being frisky and bid 2♠ on a 5-card suit. The purpose of that
“hold-up play” is to make sure that East is out of Spades when he later gains
the lead.
Declarer wins the second round of
Spades (East pitches a Club), and cashes two high Diamonds. When West shows out
on the second round, Declarer has only four Diamond tricks and must flush out
East’s Aces in order to reach 9 tricks. She leads the ♣K, but East cleverly
ducks that, making his own hold-up play in order to shut out Dummy’s Club suit.
Declarer persists with Clubs and East wins the second round, then exits with a
Diamond. How did East know to win the second Club, rather than the first or
third?
►
East’s helpful Partner gave him a
count signal, playing the Two on the first round. By playing a
low Club West showed an odd number … if West had held a doubleton, he
would have played his high Club to show an even number. Of
course, Declarer is watching the signals too. By now he can be sure of East’s
original distribution. What is it?
►
One Spade … five Diamonds … and
surely four Clubs (as West seems to have three). East’s entire distribution is
therefore 1=3=5=4. So Declarer now plays on Hearts, and, again aided by West’s
count signals, East ducks that suit, not once but twice! No problem, says
Declarer, as she cashes her two remaining high Diamonds and exits with a low
Diamond. East can cash his ♥A
but now, finally, at Trick 13, he must give Declarer access to Dummy’s Club
winner for the 9th trick!