Duplicate bridge results and tip: If trump is your only entry

By Val Rhead

Remember the old adage. Always get your trump out, unless you have a reason not to. Often you have a reason not to. We’ve talked about this before. In an earlier article, I pointed out the importance of trying to make extra trump tricks by ruffing cards in the dummy before you draw trump, when the dummy has a void or a short suit.

In the South hand shown below, you are declarer at Four Spades. Today, we’ll talk about the situation where you have a long suit in the dummy. If you can establish it, it would give you a place where you can discard some losers. How do you do this in the following hand in such a way that you will have a chance to make your Four-Spade contract? The difficulty is that the only entries to the North hand, shown below, are in the trump suit, Spades. This means that you have to set up the Club suit before you draw all your trump. You need one of the Spades as an entry to the good Clubs.

After the lead, before you play your first card, you must PLAN how to play the hand. First count your losers. Now, you PLAN how to avoid some losers. If at first you pull three rounds of trump, you will have four losers: the ACE of Clubs, one Diamond, and two Hearts. The answer is in the long Club suit. Establish Clubs and you are can throw off your losers on the good Clubs.

DUMMY NORTH

Spades A K 8

Hearts 6 4 2

Diamonds 6

Clubs Q J 10 9 6 4

_____

DECLARER SOUTH

Spades Q J 10 6 5 4

Hearts A 9 7

Diamonds A 8

Clubs K 3

The opponents lead a Heart which you capture with the Ace. You then lead your King of Clubs to attempt to force out the Ace of Clubs. They will cash two Hearts, when the Ace of Clubs is played but you will be in with whatever they lead next after taking the two Heart tricks. You lead the Queen of Spades and then a small Spade to the Ace of Spades on the board. Then lead the King of Spades wiping out the enemies’ trump.

There is approximately a fifty percent chance of the Spades splitting two-two. You are still safe it they split one – three; you will make your contract. If however, it is not your day and the opponent’s trump is split four-zero, you’re probably dead in the water. Onto the next hand!

If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will try to include it in this column.

NEW SOCIAL BRIDGE GAME IN HUNTSVILLE

Games are at the Active Living Centre, Thursdays at 7 p.m.
in the multi-purpose room 2^nd floor (elevator) (back entrance of Summit Centre)
Just come – with or without a partner. For information, please contact Donna or Peter Tikuisis at 647 471 1774 OR [email protected].

For now, this game will be played following Chicago Rules (allowing both fast and slow games). You will keep your same partner for the entire evening. Cost is $1.50 per person. Parking is outside the North Entrance opposite Heritage Village Railway Station.

PORT CARLING SOCIAL BRIDGE CLUB

Games for the Port Carling Social Bridge Club are Monday afternoon 1pm at the Port Carling Community Centre, 3 Bailey Street. Please arrive with your partner at least 10 minutes before game time.

For information, contact Andree or Scott 705-764-3827 [email protected]

Monday, Oct 15 winners:
First Place: Susan & Ted Daglish
Second: Hans & Jeanette Heeneman
Third: Els Vandenberg & Peter Rhead

HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB

Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesday evening 7:00, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Contact Jan Roberts 705-635-2522 or [email protected] for information and partnerships.

The following winners are for Tuesday, Oct 16 with 12 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Barb Golding and Arlene Crozier; 2. Art Insley and Don Evans; 3. Jim Smith and Ralph Mitchell; 4. Fay MacDonald and Yvonne Cox; 5. Susan Marshall and Jan Roberts; 6. Liz Barnes and Bev Howard

MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)

Games for the Bracebridge Club are Mondays 7pm, Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For information or partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]

The following winners are from Monday, Oct 15 with 15 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Fay MacDonald and Mary Whitehead; 3. Art Insley and Don Evans; 4. Betty Fagin and Gail Lederer; 5. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 6. Lynda Mochrie and Wayne Mochrie; 7. Mary Mitchell and Susan Maddocks; 8. Kathy Kent and David Kent

Looking for more bridge tips? You’ll find them here.

Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free newsletter here.