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VOLVER AL INICIO - AGREGAR A FAVORITOS

                                                         

 

 

 

JUST BRIDGE...

 

DUELLING MAXIMS

 

by Beverly Kraft -Eric Kokish


 Please put yourself in the East seat for today's deal. South's vulnerable 3
opening bid silences everyone. All right, perhaps not you, but pass must be acceptable. West leads the 3 and declarer plays low from dummy.

Both sides vulnerable South deals

 

  J 10 7 6 4 3
K Q 2
6

K 4 2

A Q 8 5
10 9 6 4
7 2

A 9 6

 

West North East South
      3
End      


Opening Lead:
3

 As more contracts are won or lost at the first trick, it is sound policy to always take some time before playing your first card. Third hand should not feel obliged to play quickly even if declarer makes a "shotgun" play from dummy at trick one. So, now, after appropriate consideration, which card would you play with the East hand?

 If you place your trust in "third hand high" and play the
A, you will discover that declarer can take three club tricks by playing the jack on the second round, trapping West's queen. He will make his contract, losing only one club, one heart and two diamonds.

 If instead you rely on a different adage - "Aces were created to capture kings" - and play the
9 at trick one, you should fare considerably better. Declarer wins the first club with the ten but must lose two tricks in the suit if he is left to play it himself and West saves his queen to cover the jack. West must not both win the first heart and revert to clubs.

 With the
2 in dummy, East can be sure that West's lead of the three (playing standard fourth-highest leads) is from a suit of three or four cards. Therefore declarer has three or four clubs himself and the defenders can not lose their club tricks if East withholds his ace.

 

 The four hands:

  J 10 7 6 4 3
K Q 2
6

K 4 2

K 9 2
A J 7 3
A J 4

Q 8 3

A Q 8 5
10 9 6 4
7 2

A 9 6

 
6 5
K Q 10 9 8 5 3

J 10 7 5