Answers follow . . . cover them up while you figure out answers to these problems. A. B. C. D. E. Dummy ♠A J 10 5 2 ♠10 7 5 3 ♠J 10 3 ♠A 9 7 5 2 ♠A Q J 8 3 Declarer ♠K 9 8 ♠A Q J 8 ♠A K 8 7 2 ♠K J 3 ♠10 7 6 4 Answers A. B. C. D. E. Dummy ♠A J 10 5 2 ♠10 7 5 3 ♠J 10 3 ♠A 9 7 5 2 ♠A Q J 8 3 Declarer ♠K 9 8 ♠A Q J 8 ♠A K 8 7 ♠K J 3 ♠10 7 6 4 The ♠2 to the ♠8, then the ♠King, then to the ♠A. Odds? You have 8, so they have 5 Spades. The split is 3 – 2, probably, but what are the Split Odds? Even if East has ♠Qxxx, you still get 3 safe Spade tricks. ♠Ten first, then cover any East card on 2nd round, then ♠A. Again, you have 8, so they have 5 Spades. There’s what odds for a 2 – 3 split? ♠J then ♠T then ♠3 to the ♠A. You have 7, so they have 6 Spades. The split is probably 4 – 2. What are the Split Odds? Lead small toward the ♠J. If it wins, take the ♠King, then back to the ♠Ace. Split Odds? Play the ♠A and hope for a drop of the ♠King by East. This time, you have 9 Spades, but only a King stiff collects all the Spade tricks. What are the odds of a stiff King in the East? Plan Ahead is where we’re going with all this. CARD COMBINATIONS
Entry Management - Problems 1. 643 52 7653 7632 Contract: 4 Spades West opened 1 and East bid 1. West’s Lead: A then K then Q, East sluffing a Heart on the 3rd Diamond. South, what’s your plan? KQJ9875 AQ J4 AK 2. A42 Contract: 4 Spades. (A) How can you draw 2 rounds of Spades, ending in Dummy and keep maximum Entry* options? (B) How can you draw 2 rounds of Spades, ending in Declarer’s hand and keep maximum transportation options? KQ8753 Spades split 2 – 2. 3. 762 QT8 KQJT92 2 Contract: 3 NT West’s Lead: 6. How can you get (back) to Dummy’s Diamonds after East Holds-Up* and takes the 2nd Diamond trick? AJ98 A95 5 AQ763 4. 862 T97 532 KQ43 Contract: 3NT West’s Lead: a Heart. How should you take your 8 tricks after your Q wins? QJ3 KQ AQJT AJ82
Entry Management - Answers: 1. 643 52 7653 7632 Contract: 4 Spades West opened 1 and East bid 1. 2. A42 Contract: 4 Spades KQ8753 KQJ9875 AQ J4 AK (2a) How can you draw 2 rounds of Spades, ending in Dummy and keep maximum Entry* options? (If Spades split 2 – 2) Play the K, then the 8, 7 or 5 to A, leading the 3 to the 4 if needed. (2b) Play 2 rounds ending in Declarer’s hand. The 8,7 or 5 to the A, then the 2 to the K, keeping the 4 as an Entry*. Ruff the 3rd Diamond with the ♠9, ♠8 or ♠7; not the ♠5: you need it for an Entry* to Dummy’s ♠6 for the Heart Finesse* thru East. Visualize* and treasure those tiny dummy Entries*! 3. 762 QT8 KQJT92 2 Contract: 3 NT. West leads the 6. 4. 862 T97 532 KQ43 Contract: 3 NT. West leads a Heart. AJ98 A95 5 AQ763 QJ3 KQ AQJT AJ82 How to play for 9 tricks? (or How to get back to dummy’s Diamonds after defender holds up until the 2nd Diamond is played?) You will have to lead (Finesse*) twice toward the Q, hoping West has the King. Therefore, you must win the first trick with the A, NOT the Queen. How to take 8 more tricks at once after the Q? If you give up the lead . . . . Uh Oh! You need 3 Club entries in dummy for 3 Diamond Finesses*: first lead the A, playing dummy’s 4, then the 8 to the K and 1st Finesse.; the J to the Q for the 2nd Finesse* and finally the 2 to the 3 for the 3rd Diamond Finesse*.
easier in a suit contract, no? But, you can’t just “collect trump first” and have than as Entries* for Establishing* a suit later. Plan Ahead is where we’re going with all this. 7. OK, the ultimate BAD suit to try to establish. Is it even worth a try? Well . . . look at #6 above: it’s the same hand except dummy has the ♣King, not the ♣Ace. If you try the Club Backhand Finesse* - leading toward the ♣King on the first Club round, hoping West has the Ace, then it’s almost the same hand as #6. If West takes her ♣Ace, then you use one outside Entry* to play the ♣King plus another Club . . . etc., etc. But if East takes dummy’s ♣King, forget Establishing* this Club suit. But you lost the one Club you were going to lose anyhow, so no harm, no foul. And, if you have another dummy Entry*, you can get back and pitch some other loser on the ♣King if West wins the ♣Ace – net zero. So even this motley collection can sometimes take some tricks. Visualize* these possibilities to maximize your declarer game. ♣K5432 ♣6 A Final Opportunity even if the suit can’t be established. In cases where a defender has too many of the suit you are trying to establish for Length Tricks, there’s another possibly winning technique: Use a losing trick as a Throw-In* to the opponent. Since you know who has it, (the other defender will have shown out), if you have a loser somewhere else and would like to Eliminate* that suit from your hand plus Throw-In* the defender with the long suit, lead that 5th losing card and pitch a side-suit loser: a Loser on Loser* play. That Throws-In* a defender who may then make a profitable lead for you. You’ve lost nothing new – you tried to Establish* a suit, but it failed. It can be a salvation for you even though you couldn’t set up your long suit to pitch losers, if you make a Loser on Loser* trick. Plan Ahead is where we’re going with all this. Next week, we’ll start the Declarer Play Planning we’ve been “going toward” by reviewing these Basic Skills.