August 2022 - 46

Newer Players
Reasoning with Robert
Losers - equal length in dummy
L
1
ast month we discussed how
to deal with potential losers in
the three " outside " suits when
declaring a suit contract. We focused
on how to use dummy's shortness to
ruff our losers. Here we look at how
we handle a side suit when dummy
has equal length as we do in our hand
- we will not always be able to ruff
our losers. We often will have to work
much harder. To start, we can apply
our notrump techniques, promotion
and finesse, even though we are in a
suit contract.
Dummy
J 6 3
Declarer
K Q 8
2
Dummy
A Q 10
Declarer
8 4 2
In the first example, we simply
knock out the ace and have only one
loser. In the second, we may take a
double finesse, leading up to dummy's
honors twice, and lose either zero,
one, or two tricks.
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46 | Bridge Bulletin | August 2022
Dummy
7 4 2
Declarer
K Q 5
We may also try to reduce our
losers by leading from the dummy up
towards our honors. If the ace is on
our right, we will lose one trick in this
suit.
Discards - creating shortness
There are some holdings where we
can use an extra winner from another
suit to discard from our hand and
reduce our number of losers. With
A-x-x in dummy opposite K-x-x, a
discard from our hand will leave us
with no losers in this suit. But discards
are not always valuable. With
a holding like K-Q-J opposite three
small, a discard from our hand will
not help us get rid of a loser. If dummy
has enough trump, we can use an extra
winner from our hand to discard
a card from the dummy, creating
shortness.
Passive declarer play
Some holdings, called " frozen
suits, " are such that whoever leads
the suit first gives up a trick. When
we hold these frozen suits, we want to
force (or convince) the opponents to
lead these suits for us.
Dummy
Q 8 4
A 10 7 5
Declarer
J 6 2
Whichever side leads the suit first
costs their side a trick. If declarer
leads this suit, then the opponent's
K 9 3
BY ROBERT S. TODD
robert@advinbridge.com
advinbridge.com
king will capture the queen and their
ace will capture the jack, losing three
tricks. But if the opponents lead
this suit (either LHO or RHO), then
declarer can play " second hand low "
and force them to use one of their
honors without capturing either of
declarer's, for only two losers in the
suit.
Dummy
K 7
Q 10 8 5 3
Declarer
J 6
This is another example of a frozen
suit. If declarer leads up toward
the king, there are two losers. But if
declarer can force either opponent to
lead this suit, ideally RHO, they will
lose only one trick. If West leads the
suit, declarer will have to guess to
play low.
Endplays
A Q
7 5
With a holding like this it is natural
to want to take a finesse, hoping that
LHO has the king. But instead, if we
can force our RHO to lead this suit
for us then we will have no losers in
the suit, no matter who has the king.
Forcing RHO to lead this suit for us is
an example of an " endplay. "
When we have equal length in our
hand and the dummy, we must work
hard to try to reduce our number of
losers. Many times, we hope for help
from the opponents.
A 9 4 2
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August 2022

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