October 2011 - 46
Play & Learn
Pat Harrington
Failing forward
Many newer players refuse to plan
their play at trick one. Those players
are likely to remain lackluster declarers. Players who make a plan may not
always play well but will "fail forward" toward success: By making and
attempting to execute a plan, they will
improve their play.
Cover up the East-West hands on
the deal below and test your planning
skills. West leads the Q. Read on
once you've developed a plan.
Q J 10 4
10 5
10 8 7
A Q 10 7
West
A96
K3
KQJ4
9853
N
W E
S
K83
942
96532
K4
752
AQJ876
A
J62
North
1
Pass 1NT
All Pass
East
Pass
Pass
South
1
4
1. You're in a suit contract so count
losers from the long trump hand:
two fast spades losers and three
46 Bridge Bulletin October 2011
clubs. Two losers must be eliminated.
2. Dummy's only shortness is in
trumps, so forget about ruffing
losers. There are no finesses, but
there are diamond winners in
dummy that can provide a place on
which to discard losers.
3. Plan the sequence of plays, deciding which suits to play first and
watching out for entries. Notice
that the diamond suit is blocked.
Your entry to use North's good
diamonds must be in a suit other
than diamonds. You win the A at
trick one (East follows with the 8)
to avoid losing a spade and three
clubs off the top. With the A
gone, what is the needed entry?
The K. With only a doubleton
trump in dummy, the secret to
making 4 is to unblock the A
before drawing two rounds of
trumps ending in dummy.
It's reasonable to play for the missing diamonds to split 5-3, which
allows you to discard two black-suit
losers to make 4.
In a duplicate pair game, overtricks
matter. With the diamond distribution
above, you score the most matchpoints if the first three tricks are
won with the A, the A and one
of South's high trumps. Next lead to
dummy's K and play the remaining
top diamonds, discarding three losers.
You've drawn two rounds of hearts,
depleting West of trumps, so the
fourth diamond wins and you make
that precious overtrick.
You are in 4 on the next deal.
West leads the Q, continuing until
you take the A.
A5
J832
Q J 10
J942
West
642
Q954
A63
763
83
10 7 6
W E
K987
S
K 10 8 5
K Q J 10 9 7
AK
542
AQ
North
Pass 2
All Pass
N
East
Pass
South
1
4
1. South's losers are one spade (fast),
two diamonds (fast with the opening lead) and one club (slow). One
loser must be eliminated.
2. At first glance it appears that you
have two options: a club finesse or
discarding a loser on the Q.
3. A closer look tells you that the
heart suit is blocked. Furthermore,
the opening lead has removed
dummy's only entry. Without help
from your opponents, you can't get
to dummy to win the Q! The club
finesse is your best hope for making 4 and the only time you are
sure to have an opportunity to take
it is while you are in dummy with
the A. Take the 50% chance of
making your contract and take the
club finesse now.
Planning can seem tedious. You
might stumble often in the beginning,
but you will gradually improve. In
the words of the Irish writer Samuel
Beckett, "Try again. Fail again. Fail
better."
r
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2011
Viewpoint - Brent Manley
Letters to the Editor
From the CEO - Jay Baum
Seattle Hosts the Fall NABC
Part 2 of the Summer NABC report
Board highlights from Toronto
Penn repeats as Collegiate champs
A Game for All Ages
Vugraph: From Bridge-o-Rama to Bridge Base Online
Obituary - Nadine Wood (1935-2011)
Club News
Big Games
The Bidding Box
It's Your Call
Ruling the Game - Mike Flader
For Newer Players
Teacher's Notes - Penalty doubling - Barbara Seagram
Ask Jerry - Jerry Helms
East hands for The Bidding Box
Bridge Players Survival Kit - Aces rock! - Leslie Shafer
Mike's Bridge Lesson - Mike Lawrence
Upgrading Your Game - Takeout doubles- Lynn Berg
Puzzle page
Play & Learn -- Pat Harrington
For Intermediate Players
Boehm on Bridge - August Boehm
The Real Deal - Larry Cohen
Misplay these Hands With Me - Pointless exercise - Mark Horton
Better Bridge with Bergen -Dummy points - Marty Bergen
Chalk talk - Eddie Kantar
It's Just MayHem - Marilyn Hemenway
For Advanced Players
My Bridge and Yours - Frank Stewart
Bidding Matters - 12 habits - Karen Walker
Test Your Play - Eddie Kantar
Mike's Advice -Michaels cuebid - Mike Lawrence
Solutions to Test Your Play
Dear Billy - Billy Miller
Partnership Bridge - The Granovetters
Bridge with the Abbot - David Bird
West hands for The Bidding Box
George's World - George Jacobs
New Life Masters
District Worldwide Bridge Contest winners
Life Master Milestones
In Memoriam
Tournament Directory
Obituary - Jay Cohen (1927-2011)
Obituary - Victor Chernoff (1937-2011)
Obituary - Robert Allan "Bob" Bisplinghoff (1945-2011)
Obituary - John Currie (1915-2011)
October 2011 - 1
October 2011 - 2
October 2011 - 3
October 2011 - 4
October 2011 - 5
October 2011 - Letters to the Editor
October 2011 - 7
October 2011 - 8
October 2011 - From the CEO - Jay Baum
October 2011 - Seattle Hosts the Fall NABC
October 2011 - 11
October 2011 - 12
October 2011 - 13
October 2011 - Part 2 of the Summer NABC report
October 2011 - 15
October 2011 - 16
October 2011 - 17
October 2011 - 18
October 2011 - 19
October 2011 - Board highlights from Toronto
October 2011 - Penn repeats as Collegiate champs
October 2011 - A Game for All Ages
October 2011 - 23
October 2011 - Vugraph: From Bridge-o-Rama to Bridge Base Online
October 2011 - 25
October 2011 - 26
October 2011 - Obituary - Nadine Wood (1935-2011)
October 2011 - Big Games
October 2011 - 29
October 2011 - 30
October 2011 - The Bidding Box
October 2011 - 32
October 2011 - 33
October 2011 - It's Your Call
October 2011 - 35
October 2011 - 36
October 2011 - 37
October 2011 - Ruling the Game - Mike Flader
October 2011 - Teacher's Notes - Penalty doubling - Barbara Seagram
October 2011 - East hands for The Bidding Box
October 2011 - 41
October 2011 - Bridge Players Survival Kit - Aces rock! - Leslie Shafer
October 2011 - Mike's Bridge Lesson - Mike Lawrence
October 2011 - Upgrading Your Game - Takeout doubles- Lynn Berg
October 2011 - Puzzle page
October 2011 - Play & Learn -- Pat Harrington
October 2011 - Boehm on Bridge - August Boehm
October 2011 - The Real Deal - Larry Cohen
October 2011 - Misplay these Hands With Me - Pointless exercise - Mark Horton
October 2011 - Better Bridge with Bergen -Dummy points - Marty Bergen
October 2011 - Chalk talk - Eddie Kantar
October 2011 - It's Just MayHem - Marilyn Hemenway
October 2011 - My Bridge and Yours - Frank Stewart
October 2011 - Bidding Matters - 12 habits - Karen Walker
October 2011 - Test Your Play - Eddie Kantar
October 2011 - Mike's Advice -Michaels cuebid - Mike Lawrence
October 2011 - Solutions to Test Your Play
October 2011 - Dear Billy - Billy Miller
October 2011 - Partnership Bridge - The Granovetters
October 2011 - Bridge with the Abbot - David Bird
October 2011 - George's World - George Jacobs
October 2011 - 62
October 2011 - District Worldwide Bridge Contest winners
October 2011 - Life Master Milestones
October 2011 - 65
October 2011 - Obituary - Victor Chernoff (1937-2011)
October 2011 - Obituary - John Currie (1915-2011)
October 2011 - 68
October 2011 - 69
October 2011 - 70
October 2011 - 71
October 2011 - 72
October 2011 - 73
October 2011 - 74
October 2011 - 75
October 2011 - 76
October 2011 - 77
October 2011 - 78
October 2011 - 79
October 2011 - 80
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