West of England Bridge Club Christmas Party Hands

11 Bridge at the Summit

KQJTxx J AQxx AJ xx xxx Qxxx x x JTxxxx KQ98xx xxx

Ax AKTxxxx Kx Tx

7S is a superb contract .The simple line is to take a diamond with the SA without drawing trumps .This line is roughly 89% but of course will fail here .

One alternative is to play to establish hearts but this is less good than the first line above .

At tables where west has made a weak jump in clubs declarer may be tipped off to the winning line, which is to run the trumps and cash 3 top diamonds and the CA. East must keep a high diamond in the end game and thus only 2 hearts, and west the CK and is also reduced to two hearts. A is a virtual certainty to work so long as one hand guards clubs and the other diamonds, thereby preventing either from holding the hearts .

This is my favourite bridge hand of all time and Hugh Ross the great American player found the double squeeze to make this in the heat of the final, which really demonstrates great technique and foresight; the audience were on their feet. PS: a note to all you weak jump overcallers out there - there is a downside to lots of bidding!

12 Grading Declarer

You reach 6H on this deal.

K9 xx Txxx Txxxx AQxxx xxx AQTx KJxxxx KQ Ax Ax Kx JT8 x Jxxxx QJxx There are 4 lines of play

1 Draw trumps and play a spade to the Q. Fail

2 Draw trumps and play a low spade off dummy. Pass, just

3 Draw trumps, cash all the minors, cash SA, return to hand in trumps and lead towards SQ. Merit

4 Draw trumps, cash all the minors ending in hand and lead a low spade; if west plays the 8 in dummy, otherwise rise with the ace return to hand with a and lead a spade towards the Queen Distinction.

13 Bridge at the Bennetts!

ATxx Txx x A98xx Qxx x AJx Q9x AQT9x KJxxx Jx Qxxx

KJ98x Kxxx xx KT

John Bennett arrived in 4S and Myrtle retired to the kitchen to make the next day's breakfast .He went off in this contract, and following an altercation with his wife she shot him dead. The subsequent trial for murder focused on his line of play (he should play to establish the clubs) amongst some more serious legal points, and eventually the jury decided this was an accident and acquitted Myrtle! I don't think jurists in 2015 would have reached a similar verdict.

14 Reversing the Dummy

QT xxxx QTxxx AKx Jx xxxx 87 AKQJT xxxxx AKx xxxx

J9xx xx AKJ QTxx

4H on the lead of a top diamond is a remarkable contract. Did you notice the trumps in dummy? Two small or 87? Declarer ruffed and then proceeded to use the 4 black suit entries in dummy to ruff 4 more diamonds, scoring 5 trumps in hand, 4 top cards in the black suits and eventually 87 doubleton trump provided the 10th trick. The fifth diamond ruff in the long trump hand was vital.

15 Not all Plain Sailing

Partner and I played the following hand in the excellent contract of 7D many years ago. With your intrepid commentator at the helm some rough water was approaching

Axxx AKQx Kxx Kx x KJTxxxx Qxxx xxx T9x x QJTxx xx Q xx AQJxxx Axxx

The lead was CQ rather than a trump and after due consideration I counted 6 diamonds, 2 clubs and 4 top cards in the majors: 12 tricks so just ruff a club in dummy for the 13th trick. To cater for things I cashed AQ diamond then played 3 rounds of clubs, ruffing in dummy with the King to cater for 6-2 clubs and then played SA. I was about to claim when of course LHO overruffed. This line of play was around 96%.

16 A Brilliant Lead

xxxx Qxxxx Jxx x AJT xxx xxx Ax Qxx AKTxxxx T9xx x

KQx KJx void AKQJxxx

You find yourself on lead to 5C after partner has shown long diamonds in the bidding. I don't think many would disagree (even diehard fans of Terence Reece) that Tony Forrester is the greatest player this country has ever produced and here he reasoned that following a heart bid by north there was an urgent need to attack spades, so he found the SJ lead - the only one to defeat 5C. Brilliant and courageous.

17 More Probable

Kxxx AJ9xx QJx x QJTxxxx void void xxx Axx xxxx Qxx ATxxxx Ax KQxxx KTx Kxx

A defensive problem now

4H by south. On the lead of SQ east ruffs and now has to decide which minor to play. Logic should enable you to find the correct play here. If partner has the CK a club will enable you to put him in for another spade ruff but that is only 3 tricks for the defence. Now if partner has the diamond ace a diamond works well and you collect a second spade ruff and of course still score the CA for 1 down. A club requires partner to hold two cards to defeat the contract whereas the DA alone will definitely defeat it so the moral is play partner for the least number of high cards to defeat the contract .

18 Count those Points

J9xx Txxx x Jxxx KTx Ax void AQxxx QJTxxxx Axx Qxx Axx Qxxx KJxx Kx KTx

6D by west is interesting. If South has opened a weak NT the key cards are all known to be on the right of declarer so then count your tricks: 6 diamonds, 2 spades and a ruff in dummy plus HA & CA is 11. Play to set up the hearts and ignore the trump , so on a club lead win CA, ruff a heart, diamond to the ace, ruff a second heart, spade to ace, third heart ruff, SK, spade ruff, HA dropping the king pitching a club and now the HQ takes care of your losing club.