Bookworm Bridge Conundrums #109
This conundrum was written by NICOLAS LHUISSIER and was originally pub...
This conundrum was written by Julian Pottage and was originally published in the book Play or Defend? 68 Hands to Test Your Bridge Skill - you can find out all about it further down the page.
Contract: 5♦
Opening Lead: ♥8
Having won the first heart with the king, East can read the ♥Q as a singleton. South’s advance to 5♦ (and takeout double) would seem dubious actions with two losing hearts. Since the weak dummy and its singleton spade telegraphs the threat of spade ruffs, East may switch to the ♦2, South’s ace winning.
Declarer may go on to take the ♠A, ruff a spade, return to the ♣A, ruff a spade, ruff a heart and ruff another spade. Nobody overruffs, but East can win the next club and play a heart to promote West’s ♦Q. Rather than aim for three spade ruffs, perhaps one could hope to find the ♣K onside, in which case a lead up to the ♣Q produces a trick. As the cards lie, this works no better. The queen falls victim to the king and once more a trump promotion seals the contract’s fate. Can either side improve on the above?
You can make 5♦ on a trump switch. Follow the black aces with spade ruffs and exit from dummy with the ♣Q. East wins and can neither draw dummy’s last trump nor play a heart to much effect. Declarer ruffs the heart, takes a third spade ruff, and ruffs a club. The ♦A drops the queen, leaving South’s remaining cards high.
A slight change to the above timing proves equally effective: lead the ♣Q and duck after taking just one spade ruff. Even so, the contract should fail. East needs to foresee this avoidance play in clubs and concentrate on promoting West’s ♦Q.
What can you do on a heart return at Trick 2? You can take the ♠A, ruff a spade and try a club towards the nine. However, the ten comes up, forcing the ace. You ruff another spade, but East pops up with the ♣K to play a third round of hearts to promote West’s ♦Q. If instead you draw trumps and ruff a spade in dummy, East discards a club and then unblocks the ♠Q on the second spade to avoid being thrown in with it on the third. Again you finish a trick short.
Sharpen your bridge skills with Play or Defend? by Julian Pottage, a collection of 68 hands designed to challenge your judgment and strategy. Each scenario presents a dilemma—whether to play or defend—offering insights and solutions that enhance your decision-making. Perfect for intermediate/advanced players eager to refine their techniques and deepen their understanding of the game.
