| Interesting Bridge Hands |
Confidence
“Fortune favours the bold” is especially true at the bridge table, where confident-sounding bids on slender values reap dividends.
South deals
N/S Vul.
|
|
♠ K Q J 3
♥ 8 7 4 2
♦ 10 8 3 2
♣ K
|
|
|
Bidding
|
|
|
♠ 10 8 6 5
♥ A J
♦ 9 7
♣ Q J 10 9 8
|
|
♠ 9 4 2
♥ 6 3
♦ A K Q J 5
♣ 7 4 2
|
|
West
Pass
Pass
|
North
3 ♥
Pass
|
East
4 ♦
Pass
|
South
1 ♥
4 ♥
|
|
|
♠ A 7
♥ K Q 10 9 5
♦ 6 4
♣ A 6 5 3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contract: 4 ♥ by South
Yes - East’s 4♦ bid was unsound. But by sounding confident, his opponents had no idea his playing strength was so feeble. South naturally went on to 4♥ - how could he know that 4♦ would have gone four down?
East had put his head on the block to attract a ♦ lead against a ♥ contract and West duly obliged. His ♦9 opening lead was won by East’s ♦J; East cashed ♦A and continued with ♦K. If declarer had ruffed with ♥9, West would have overruffed with ♥J. But when declarer ruffed with ♥Q, West simply discarded and waited to score two trump tricks later. His ♥J had been promoted into the setting trick.
Note that if East had kept quiet, West would surely have led ♣Q. Winning dummy’s ♣K, declarer would play ♠3 to ♠A, ♠7 to ♠J and cash ♠Q, discarding a ♦. His best play would then be to lead ♠K and discard his second ♦. He would lose just two trump tricks.
ANDREW’S TIP: Play bridge with confidence - especially when making a frisky bid!
|
|
|
|
|
|