June 2008 - 53

ADVANCED PLAYERS

My Bridge and Yours
inferences on Defense
- part 1
Defenders often make assumptions
that are no more than hopeful speculation. But inferences - assumptions
supported by evidence from the
bidding and play - are present in
every deal. If your opponents (and
your partner) operate logically, they
will tell you about what they hold and
what they intend to do.
Dlr: South  6 5 3
Vul: N-S  Q 8 3
IMPs
64
 A Q 10 7 6
J982
 10 7
N
K62
A4
W E
 Q 10 5
J9832
S
842
KJ93
AKQ4
 J 10 9 7 5
AK7
5
West

North

Pass
2
All Pass

East
Pass

South
1
4

West has no attractive opening
lead and chooses a trump. He regrets
it when he sees dummy because he
thinks declarer may have gained time
to discard losers on the clubs, but
East produces the ace and returns a
trump. When West takes the king,
he should lead a third trump instead
of shifting to a spade or a diamond.
Unless East had the clubs sewed
up, he would have shifted himself.
Declarer can't ruff anything in
dummy and takes only nine tricks.

June 2008

Dlr: North  Q J 10 5
Vul: N-S  K J 5
 10 8
AK52
32
AK7
N
 A 10 8 4 2
96
W E
J53
Q9762
S
 J 10 9
843
9864
Q73
AK4
Q76
West
Pass
Pass

North
1
2
4

East
South
Pass
1
Pass
2NT
All Pass

West leads the J, and declarer
wins in dummy and starts the trumps
by leading the queen. When East
takes the king, he shifts to the 9. If
East has led a singleton, West must
win immediately and return a heart; if
East has a doubleton heart, West must
signal encouragement, keeping communication.
South's 2NT was a try for game
and suggested about 11 points with
balanced pattern. South presumably
has only four trumps, because East's
defense would make no sense unless
he had a low trump. But if South had
four cards in each major, he'd have
responded 1.
Moreover, if East had a singleton
heart, he could have "built a fence"
around West by cashing the A
before leading his singleton. If West
trusts his partner's defense and declarer's bidding, he will play the 10
on the first heart.

Frank Stewart
franks@fayette.net
Dlr: South  K 5 3
Vul: N-S  K 10 4
 10 8 3
 Q J 10 6
AJ
 10 9 8 7 2
N
J9653 W E 8
AQ52
K96
S
95
8432
Q64
AQ72
J74
AK7
West

North

East

South
1NT (1)
3NT

Pass
2NT
Pass
All Pass
(1) 15-17 HCP.
West leads the 5. Declarer plays
dummy's 10, winning, and leads a
low spade, hoping to steal a ninth
trick. East follows with the 10, suggesting a sequence, and West captures
declarer's queen.
South is marked with the A Q,
and West can place him with the
A K also. If South lacked a club
honor, he would attack clubs at the
second trick. He wouldn't lead to the
Q and possibly invite the defenders
to set up several spade tricks. So West
knows South can't have the K,
which would give him 18 points, but
he may have nine tricks ready to cash:
four clubs, four hearts and a spade.
West must shift to the 2.
r
53
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2008
