Page 16 - ABF Newsletter April 2025

A GAME
AT THE
CLUB
Barbara Travis
www.bridgeatbeaumont.com
This deal was interesting and solvable at the table, but how often do you invest the time as a defender to solve what’s happened/happening?
importantly, though, she has ‘separated’ the two hands. Just exit with the club, leaving declarer stuck in dummy. She has won three tricks, and can cash two club tricks. But now she will have to lead dia- monds from dummy, so West can win the }Q, and East can win her }A.
These scenarios crop up reasonably often, but de- fenders often forget that the hands no longer have any communication. Don’t give declarer that com- munication; capitalise on their discomfort!
On the next deal, declarer made a very ‘simple’ mis- take that ended up costing her the contract, which was ‘just a partscore’:
]K94 [J4 }K743 { Q 10 8 3
] Q J 10 2 [K87
} Q 10 2 {J94
{A72
South was playing in 1NT and we, as defenders knew
that she held 12-14 HCP. West led the ]Q, ducked. The ]J was won by declarer with her ace, and she started work on clubs, cashing the ace (not perfect), then guessing correctly by leading a small club to the ten and king. A third spade was led to dummy. She now led the [J from dummy, covered by my queen and ducked. I led another heart to declarer’s ten and partner’s king. West cashed the last spade:
]— [— }K74
]— {Q8 ]— [7 [96 } Q 10 2 } A 9 {J]—{6
[A }J65 {7
Declarer’s points must include the three aces, since I’ve shown up with the {K and [Q. I’m also marked with the }A, but not necessarily the jack. More
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]876 [Q965 }A98 {K65
]A53
[ A 10 3 2
}J65 ]532
[ A Q J 10 } Q 10 5
{ J 6 4 ] Q J 10 7
] K 8 6
[964 [K8 }9 }J632
{ A Q 10 5 3 2 ]A94
[7532 }AK874 {8
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH pass pass pass 1} 2{ dbl 3{ pass pass 3} all pass
The ]6 was led to the ten and ace. Declarer cashed the }A. When the }9 appeared, she should have taken the precaution of unblocking the }10 from dummy. If diamonds were 3-2, this was unnecessary, but if they were 4-1 then she could finesse East’s Jack on the next round. Declarer, somewhat carelessly played dummy’s }5 under the ace. She now tried the heart finesse, and I won the king, then cashed two spades before leading clubs. She trumped the second round of clubs in hand, led to the }Q in dummy but sud- denly realised that she only had losing options left.
{ K 9 7
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: April 2025