November 2022 - 51

Newer Players
BY ADAM PARRISH
adam@adamparrishbridge.com
adamparrishbridge.com
A
s declarer in a suit contract,
most of the time the first part
of the plan is to draw trumps.
There are plenty of reasons not to
draw trumps immediately, as we well
know. (For a complete treatise on
when to draw trumps, I recommend
a book by a very handsome fellow
called, imaginatively, " When to Draw
Trumps. " )
As a defender, when declarer
doesn't draw trumps immediately,
that should set off a bell. Why? Why
didn't they draw trumps? Sometimes
it's something simple like they're just
crossing to dummy to take a trump
finesse.
More commonly, they're trying to
get a ruff in the dummy. We need to
be attuned to this as defenders and
change our defensive strategy to
thwart declarer's plan. This is common
territory: When declarer looks
like they're going for ruffs or setting
up a crossruff, switch to trumps.
But what about when declarer plays
a seemingly trivial side suit before
drawing trumps? You are West:
Dlr: South  A 8 4 3
Vul: None k 9 8 4
l K 7 4 3
' K 5
 2
k Q 10 7 3
l A 8 5 2
' 7 4 3 2
West North East
Pass 3 All Pass
You lead the k3, declarer takes
your partner's king with the kA and
leads the l6.
South
1
 2
k Q 10 7 3
l A 8 5 2
' 7 4 3 2
Parrish the Thought
Declarer isn't drawing trump
Why? You could understand if
they played clubs, dummy's short
suit - they want to ruff before drawing
trumps. You could understand
if dummy didn't have a trump entry
- maybe they're just crossing in
diamonds to take a trump finesse.
But there's no need for that with the
A in dummy. Why are they leading
a diamond?
I bet they have a singleton, and
they're trying to sneak it past you
early in the hand. It's not a bad ploy by
declarer; you're playing on an ingrained
habit: second-hand low. The
earlier in the hand you can make the
defenders make a tough decision, the
more likely they are to get it wrong.
My bet is that it's right to take the
lA.
Experienced defenders have seen
this enough that declarer often does
better to draw trumps first and then
try sneaking the singleton past. But
sometimes that's not an option.
 A 8 4 3
k 9 8 4
l K 7 4 3
' K 5
 K 10 9
k K 5 2
l Q J 10 9
' A 9 6
 Q J 7 6 5
k A J 6
l 6
' Q J 10 8
If East gets in and puts a heart
through, declarer is going to lose
one spade, two hearts, one diamond,
and one club. Declarer's best shot is
a diamond at trick two. Maybe West
ducks; so long, diamond loser. Maybe
November 2022 | Bridge Bulletin |
51
West takes the lA but doesn't find
the perfect defense: A club to East's
ace for a heart through. (This is hardly
clear. Declarer could have the 'A
and it's right to cash a heart or two if
partner has the kJ.) Declarer needs
to play the diamond immediately,
while they have a quick entry to dummy
in case West takes the lA.
This creates another tip for declarer!
Because the defender is going to
be wary of an early lead-up towards
a king, you can try to lead up to such
a king if you want them to take their
ace.
An example:
Contract: 4. Lead: kK.
Dummy
 A Q 9
k 9 8 7
l K J 6 5 4
' 4 3
Declarer (You)
K J 10 3 2
kA 2
l7 2
'A K Q 7
You're losing a heart and at least
one diamond; the hand is going to
come down to guessing how to play
the diamonds for an overtrick. One
tactic is to win the kA and lead a
diamond immediately. West might
get suspicious that you're leading a
singleton and grab their ace if they
have it.
http://www.adamparrishbridge.com
November 2022

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