October 2022 - 46

Newer Players
Card Play 101
BY PHILLIP ALDER
bridgeforeveryone.com
W
e have been looking at the
most important defensive
signal, the one expressing
attitude - whether you can or cannot
help out in that suit.
Here are two more teasers for you.
1 Dlr: South  Q 8 7
Vul: N-S k J 10 8 7
l K J
' J 10 8 7
 5 2
k A K Q 4
l Q 10 8 2
' K 4 3
West North East
Dbl
2 All Pass
You lead the kA: 7, 9, 2. How would
you continue?
2 Dlr: South  Q 10 9 8
Vul: Both k Q 10 9 8
l K Q J 10
' A
 5 3 2
k 4
l 9 2
' K Q 10 9 8 7 6
West North East
3' 4' Pass
South
You Dummy Partner Declarer
1
4
All Pass
First, a quick comment about
the bidding. In this situation, when
responder has support for his partner's
major, three of that suit shows
a respectable single raise, a jump to
game indicates game-invitational
46 | Bridge Bulletin | October 2022
South
You Dummy Partner Declarer
1
strength, and the cuebid promises at
least game-forcing values. The theory
is that declarer will play more accurately,
having been drawn a good road
map by the intervenor.
You lead the k4: 8, J, 3. Partner
continues with the kA. What will
you do after declarer follows suit?
Now for the full deals:
1
 Q 8 7
k J 10 8 7
l K J
' J 10 8 7
 5 2
k A K Q 4
l Q 10 8 2
' K 4 3
 6 4 3
k 9 3
l 9 6 5 4 3
' A 9 2
 A K J 10 9
k 6 5 2
l A 7
' Q 6 5
This is one of my favorite defensive
deals because it is like a marathon for
the defenders. They need six tricks
to defeat the contract, and they must
take them immediately.
At trick one, East must signal with
the k9, playing high-low with a doubleton.
Now
West should cash his other two
heart winners. On some deals it would
be right to force partner to ruff the
third heart, but not here. West doesn't
want a suit led through declarer.
East follows to the second heart,
then gets to make a discard. Which
card should he play?
East wants a club shift, so indicates
that by pitching the '9.
Then West should switch to the
'3, low from length guaranteeing at
least one honor in the suit. East wins
with the 'A and returns the '2.
West captures South's 'Q with his
 5 3 2
k 4
l 9 2
'K and does what?
The '6 remains unseen. If East
had held it, though, when he led back
a club at trick five, from a remaining
'6 2, he would have chosen the '6,
the higher from two.
Ergo, West knows that if he leads
a third club, his partner will ruff it -
down one. Whew! High fives!
Finally, yes, if West had doubled a
second time, East would have advanced
with 3l and made it with the
trumps 2-2.
2
 Q 10 9 8
k Q 10 9 8
l K Q J 10
' A
 4
k A K J 7 2
l 8 7 4 3
' K Q 10 9 8 7 6 ' 5 4 2
 A K J 7 6
k 6 5 3
l A 6 5
' J 3
A preemptor, whose opening salvo is
in a side suit, has led a singleton. (If he
leads his own suit, play him for a singleton
trump.) So, West leads his singleton
heart. Partner comes through
with flying colors, taking the first trick
with the kJ and cashing the kA.
West should anticipate making two
discards, one now and one on the kK.
What should he pitch?
Right - first the l9, then the l2
- high-low with a doubleton and
requesting a shift to that suit.
When East obediently leads a
diamond at trick four, West ruffs to
defeat the contract.
Note that if instead East plays a
fourth heart, hoping for a trump promotion,
declarer cruises home.
http://www.bridgeforeveryone.com
October 2022

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