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Bidding is not everything

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Bidding is not everything

Bidding is not everything

Hand 1

Contract: 6♦. West overcalled your opening bid of 1♦ with 4♣.
Lead: ♣A on which East plays the 2.

What’s your plan? (Trumps are 2-2).

Correct Answer:

c) Ruff, draw trumps and then play four more rounds of trumps.

With West marked with ten minor suit cards East is likely to have the major suit length. If he discards a Spade at any point you can play on Spades making unless the suit was 5-0. If East does not pitch a Spade, throwing two Clubs and a Heart, you can duck a Spade to East. If East keeps four Spades, two Hearts and a Club you cross to dummy with the ♠K and play a Spade to the 9.

Hand 2

Contract: 6♥ doubled.
After an exciting auction, where East opened 1♦ and subsequently supported his partner’s Spades, you have finished in 6♥ doubled by West.
Lead: ♠A.

Your declarer plan:

Correct Answer:

c) Ruff, and play the ♥9, planning to run it if
it is not covered.

Having ruffed the opening lead declarer runs the 9 of Hearts and plays a second Heart. If West ducks declarer comes to hand with a Club, cashes the Ace of Hearts and then plays on Clubs, losing only one trump trick.

Hand 3

Contract: 3NT.
Lead: ♠4, East follows with the 3.

What do you do?

Correct Answer:

b) Win in hand and duck a Diamond.

Needing to find one trick declarer wins in hand and ducks a diamond, East winning and playing a second Spade. Declarer wins, ducks another Diamond, wins the Spade return and ducks a Heart. West wins and will doubtless cash the long Spade before exiting with a Heart. Declarer wins and cashes the ♦A. When East discards a Heart declarer must turn to the Club suit, cashing the ♣K and then crossing to dummy’s ace, having carefully unblocked dummy’s eight.


This article was written by Larry Cohen and was originally published in Bridgerama+.

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8 comments on “Bidding is not everything”

  1. yes, on #1 if E waits until the last club to pitch a spade, having 3 spades 2 hearts and 1 club, it does not make

  2. I'd like the complete auction on hand 2 to have more info on how to play hearts.

  3. In the 3rd question you take 9 tricks without even messing with diamonds.

    If you cash K of clubs and play low to the A, you’ll have seen the T-9 fall, so you just finesse back the 8.

    If east covers with the 9 you take with Q and 7 of clubs is your 9th trick, if east ducks the 8 of clubs you finesse it, either way you’d make 9 without touching diamonds

  4. Probably needed better proof reading. If you ruff and draw trumps then play 4 more rounds of trumps on the first board, Dummy is squeezed on the last trump. The solution suggests a seven card endgame, which is consistent with ruffing, drawing trumps and then playing 3 more rounds.

  8. I'm no L. Cohen, but I did get #3 right...although he scored me 0/3. Tough teacher... 🙂

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