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BRIDGE BITES  #86

      

 

THE KEY CARD

                                            Brian Gunnell

 

♠ 3

♥ AKQ2

♦ AK95

♣ A765

 

 

            West opens 3♠ and eventually South becomes Declarer in

            6♥.  West’s opening lead is the ♠K, won by Declarer’s Ace. 

            Declarer can count four side-suits tricks, with a fifth available

            if the ♣K is with East.  That means that he will need to score

            7 or 8 trump tricks if he is to make his slam.  And with East

            sure to be out of Spades by now, any Spade ruffs will have

            to be high.

 

            How do you propose to make 12 tricks?

        Dummy

 

West            East

 

       Declarer

♠ A764

♥ J9876

♦ 3

♣ Q43

 

One possibility is to hope for 2-2 trumps and for East to have the ♣K.  In that case, trumps are drawn, and Declarer gets up to 12 with five trumps in his hand, five side-suit tricks and two Spade ruffs on the board.  What’s wrong with that plan?

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