ACBL logo

Intermediate and newcomer players - sharpen your game with this series of tutorials. You can browse the index by topic, or read them in order. Learn even more at ACBL's Learn page.

 

 

BRIDGE BITES  #77

      

 

A SITTING DUCK

                                                    Brian Gunnell

 

♠ K3

♥ 6

♦ AQ853

♣ QJT98

 

            N-S Vulnerable

            South   West     North    East

                                                     1♥

            1♠         Pass     2♦         2♥

            2NT      Pass     3NT     Pass

            Pass    Pass

 

            N-S are a little shy of the 25 or so HCP generally required

            to make 3NT.  On the other hand, they do have a source of

            tricks in Clubs which gets Declarer up to eight winners.          

            And where there are eight there’s often a ninth, as East is

            about to find out to his detriment.

        Dummy

 

West            East

 

       Declarer

♠ AT764

♥ AT83

♦ T6

♣ K3

 

West dutifully leads the Heart Nine and East’s Jack is taken by Declarer’s Ace (holding up won’t achieve anything).  The ♣K comes next and East ducks that, if only for practice.  East takes his ♣A on the next round and continues with Clubs.  That was good play by East, he figured that persisting with Hearts would just hand Declarer her ninth trick, so he adopted a passive defense.  So, where is that ninth trick coming from now?

►