March 2024 - 57

Intermediate Players
The Real Deal
BY LARRY COHEN
larrycohen.com
F
or the eighth month in a row, we
are at the Senior Team Trials.
Try playing with the South
cards here:
s2 hJ 9 8 7 2 dJ 4 3 cK J 10 9.
Partner opens 2c and you wait
with 2d. LHO overcalls 2s and you
eventually land in 6h:
s J 9 7 6 5
h A K Q
d A K 5
c A Q
s 2
h J 9 8 7 2
d J 4 3
c K J 10 9
The sA is led (East follows with
what looks to be the singleton king)
and West shifts to a low trump, won
in dummy.
Now what? Can you find anything
better than hoping the dQ falls? How
about throwing a diamond from
dummy on the clubs and trying to
ruff a diamond in dummy? Sounds
like a lot of good breaks would be
needed.
My teammate played skillfully. He
drew trump (they were 3-2), ruffed
another spade in hand and ran winners.
This was the Real Deal:
Missed it again CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH
CHALLENGE ANSWER
Dlr: North s J 9 7 6 5
Vul:None h A K Q
d A K 5
c A Q
s A Q 10 8 4 3
h 10 4
d Q 8 6
c 3 2
s 2
h J 9 8 7 2
d J 4 3
c K J 10 9
As you can see, on the run of the
clubs and hearts, West was squeezed.
He had to keep a high spade, so he
threw his diamonds. Now, declarer
was able to take three diamond tricks
for +980.
Skillful yes, but not the best line
of play. As so often happens, even
experts miss a dummy reversal.
With hearts breaking 3-2, there
was no need for this squeeze. The
contract can be made even if East
holds the dQ!
Declarer should win the trump
switch and ruff a spade in hand.
Another trump to dummy reveals the
3-2 split. (If trumps were 4-1, then
declarer would indeed have to draw
trump and resort to the squeeze line.)
In dummy with the second trump,
declarer simply ruffs a spade, crosses
in a minor and ruffs the last spade.
Now he crosses to dummy to draw the
last trump (throwing a low diamond)
and claims. Try it! 2
s K
h 6 5 3
d 10 9 7 2
c 8 7 6 5 4
s 9 7 6 4 3
h 2
d A Q 5
c K Q 10 5
s A Q J 10
h K 3
d J 2
c A J 8 6 2
If you win the cA and draw
trumps, you could lose three diamond
tricks, as you have no trumps
left in your hand to handle dummy's
diamond losers. Additionally, you'll
lose a club: down one.
In order to handle these threats,
you should cash the sA at trick two
and run the sQ, pitching dummy's
club if West doesn't cover, a " ruffing
finesse. " Say East wins and switches
to a low diamond. If the defense plays
three rounds of diamonds, you can
ruff with the 3 (but see note below)
and play the hK, as both defenders
follow. Next cash the sJ, ruff a
club high in dummy, and draw the
remaining trumps. This line gives
you two spade tricks, six trumps in
dummy, a diamond ruff in hand and
the cA for 10 tricks. Or in terms of
losers, the defense gets the sK and
two diamonds.
Is there any danger in ruffing the
third diamond low in your hand?
Yes, but it's small. West would have
to have started with a doubleton diamond.
You could ruff high instead,
but then you pay off to 4-0 trumps. 2
March 2024 | Bridge Bulletin |
57
continued from page 52
It's important not to play too quickly.
Consider this layout:
s 2
h A Q J 9 8 7 6
d 9 8 7
c 9 7
s K 8 5
h 10 5 4
d K 10 6 4 3
c 4 3
http://www.larrycohen.com
March 2024

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