| Good Declarer Play |
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This hand is a declarer problem adapted from a hand in The Deadly Defence Quiz Book by Izdebski, Krzemin, and Klinger
East leads a trump (remember last week's point about trying to avoid leading from a suit headed by the Jack?)
Declarer can count 11 winners but that looks like it because the shape of declarer's and dummy's hands mirror each other exactly so there is no chance to dump or trump any of the Spade losers.
However there is a way declarer can make their contract. Can you see how it can be done?
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| Show Answer |
Look what happens if we draw trumps in three rounds, then play both our Diamonds, then play all our Clubs.
We are left with the following hands:
Dummy:
♠ 8 5 3
♥ 4
Declarer:
♠ A 10 4
♥ J
Now playing ♠ A and then a small Spade forces West to win the trick and with no Spades left West must lead a Diamond giving Declarer a ruff and discard and hence their twelfth trick.
This is called an 'elimination' play or a 'strip and throw-in' because declarer eliminates some suits then throws the defence on lead with no choice but to give a trick away. |
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| Even Better Defence! |
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This hand is a close cousin of the previous one but this time it is a defensive challenge.
East leads the ♦ 10.
Declarer can count 11 tricks and with Dummy's shape and Declarer's shape mirroring each other decided to draw trumps, eliminate Diamonds and Clubs and throw the defence in.
So East sees declarer win ♦ A, cash ♥ A K Q, win ♦ K, and play four rounds of Clubs.
What do you play as East when the next card Declarer plays is the ♠ A?
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| Show Answer |
If you play a low Spade then declarer makes their contract. You find yourself winning the next trick with your ♠ K and being forced to give declarer a ruff and discard by leading a Diamond.
However unnatural it feels you must throw your ♠ K under the ♠ A and hope West has the ♠ Q J. Now declarer cannot avoid losing two Spades. |
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