39 A matter of timing

39 A matter of timing

ª 6 4

¨ Q J 6 5

§ A Q 10 2

ª A J 10 9 3 ª 8 7 5 2

¨ A 10 8 ¨ 7 3 2

§ 9 6 4 § 8 7

ª K Q

¨ K 9 4

§ K J 5 3

West North East South

Pass 1©

1ª Double Pass 2ª

Pass 3© Pass Pass (after a lot of thought)

Lead §6

Declarer won and started on the trumps. ©A produced ©Q from West which was unlikely to be a singleton and there was no hope if it was. Declarer cashed ©K and West dropped ©J and declarer dropped the ball. He should have ducked a heart to West’s ©J AND UNBLOCKED ©9; this is right since if East had all the hearts it would limit his losses. After ©J West has the old problem – does he establish his spade tricks so that declarer cannot draw trumps or does he lose a tempo by playing another club?

If West plays on spades that threatens declarer with a string of winners but gives him a spade trick and a tempo. Declarer can play two rounds of diamonds or until ¨A is dislodged. That puts two diamond tricks in the bag. What if West wins and plays a third spade in this position?:

ª --

¨ Q 6

§ Q 10 2

ª 10 9 3 ª 8 5

¨ 10 ¨ 7

§ 9 4 § 8

ª --

¨ 9

§ K J 5

North ruffs the spade and East has to follow; South discards §5. Then North cashes one club winner and ¨Q. In the three card ending North plays ¨6 which is by now a winner and East is fixed. If East ruffs, South overruffs and draws the last trump to cash a club winner. If East discards his spade North is on play at trick twelve to lead a club and East is again trump couped.

If West plays another club when he is in with ©J declarer must win in dummy, finesse ©8 and draw trumps. Then he establishes three diamond tricks by forcing out ¨A. That comes to four clubs, three diamonds and three hearts.

Declarer was right to pass 3© if he was going to play the hand badly. So who was the culprit? I confess; it’s a fair cop. The really sad thing is that I saw the play in hearts as a possibility but missed the ending.