A Bridge Tale

If you seek a happy ending – do not read this tale...

Once upon a time there lived four bridge players: The Wise, the Evil, the Victim and The-one-who-can't-bid. They were all seated North and given the same bridge deal, with a huge prize in case they solve it successfully.



Let's listen to them explaining how they solved the problem:

The Wise: In bridge, what matter most is trump length. Therefore, after finding out we have 9 hearts together, I bid the correct slam in hearts.



The Evil: In bridge, what matters most is... ME! Therefore, I bid the slam in spades so that I get to play the hand.



The Victim: In bridge, you should always try to play in NT. Each time I play in a suit contract, I end up getting cross-ruffed by my opponents!



The-one-who-can't-bid: I don't know how to bid. Therefore, when my partner bid 2♣, 5♣ and 6♣, I passed his last bid, thinking he has at least 6 cards in clubs.



Can't-bid's partner got ♦A lead, followed by another diamond. He won with the ♦K, cashed ♣QJ, came back to hand on the ♥A, cashed ♣AK (discarding hearts from dummy), finessed spades and threw all his heart losers on the good spades.

The Victim also got a diamond lead from East. After winning the 2nd diamond trick, he played exactly as Can't-bid's partner and made 12 tricks.

The Evil received the same diamond lead. He unblocked his ♦K on West's ♦A and won the 2nd diamond with dummy's ♦Q. He continued with a spade finesse, played two more rounds of spade, cashed ♣QJ , came to dummy on the ♥A , threw his 2 heart losers on dummy's ♣AK and claimed.

And what happened to The Wise's partner? He also got a diamond lead and had to go down after losing a trump trick later, on the trump suit chosen by his wise partner. "Why does my partner need to be so wise?", he cried.

Double Dummy Challenge #15**

The rules are simple. You get the contract and the lead. You may look at all cards and play accordingly (you are always South). However, the defense can do the same, and they never make mistakes. You must find a way to make the contract against any defense.

Challenge - 15**

You are playing 5♦. West leads the ♠T. East wins with ♠A and continues with the ♠Q. You must make your contract against any defense. Good luck!
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** Difficulty level: Medium.
















Solution:



Contract: 5♦. Lead: ♠10. Difficulty: **Medium.

East wins the ♠A and plays back another spade. Win the ♠K, enter dummy with a club and play a low diamond to the ♦Q. Play a 2nd club towards dummy and another low diamond to the ♦10. Get back to dummy on a 3rd club and ruff the last spade with the ♦4. Now play ♥AK and a 3rd heart to West's ♥Q. You have reached this position:



West will play one of his black cards and you will ruff it with the ♦8. If East overruffs with his ♦K – Play the ♦A and the ♦9 is high. If he underruffs with his ♦7 – discard the ♥7 and the ♦A will be your last trick.

Well done to everyone who solved the problem!

Seeing Through Cards #7

*3♦ is a splinter, showing good heart support, singleton ♦
and slam interest vs suitable hand
Note: This is an intermediate level problem.

You lead the ♠A and your partner plays the ♠9.

1. Can partner have a singleton spade?
2. What does the ♠9 signal?
3. What will you hope to find partner with, in order to set the game?
4. How will you continue?

Solution:

1. Can partner have a singleton spade?
   No, this would mean South holds 5 spades and in that case he would have bid 1♠ instead of 1♥.
2. What does the ♠9 signal?
   Your Ace lead asks partner to signal attitude (encourage/discourage). Partner signaled high, showing interest in your suit. Therefore he either has a doubleton or he might hold the ♠Q.
3. What will you hope to find partner with, in order to set the game?
   Doubleton spade, ♦A and ♥Qx. (If partner has doubleton spade, it's unlikely he holds ♥Qxx or Jxx because with 4-4 in the majors South would double, showing both majors, and not bid 1♥.) A reasonable assumption given his bidding and signaling (and also taking into account that South refused his partner's slam invite, suggesting a weaker hand and values in diamonds).
4. How will you continue?
   With the ♦9!
   If partner has indeed what you hope he has, you might help him to promote a trump trick by continuing ♠K and a 3rd spade. The defense will win 2 spade tricks, the ♦A and a heart trick. Right?
   Wrong! Declarer can still make his contract if, on the 3rd spade, he will throw his diamond loser from dummy (loser on loser) instead of ruffing. Partner will be able to ruff but that will be the last trick for the defense. So, don't continue spades at trick 2. Play the ♦9 (negative + showing spade preference). Your partner will win the ♦A, continue with his 2nd spade to your ♠K and you will continue now with a 3rd spade, promoting partner's ♥Q.

Things to remember:

• Timing is everything, not only for the play of hand, but also in defense. If you play 3 rounds of spade at once, declarer will throw his diamond loser. If you start with ♠AK and then play diamond, your partner will win his ♦A but you have no entry to your hand to promote your partner's ♥Q. Whatever he continues, declarer will win, pull out the ♥AK, and claim when your partner's ♥Q falls.
• Notice that a splinter is 1 bid higher than the strongest natural bid. In our example, 2♦ by North (without East's overcall) is a reverse bid (and a cue bid with East's overcall) and it’s the strongest natural bid (showing an unbalanced hand, normally at least 5-4, and 17+ points), so 3♦ must be splinter. If North's opening would have been 1♦ and South would have responded 1♥, then 4♣ would be a splinter (heart support, singleton club and slam interest), as 3♣ is the strongest natural bid.
• When to accept a splinter invitation? Your hand is:
  

  (1)	(2)

  
  Your partner opens 1♣, you bid 1♠ and he bids 3♦ (splinter). How do you evaluate your hand in (1) and (2)?
  • In (1) you hold extra trump length, an Ace in an unbid side suit (♥A) and an honor in partner's long suit (♣Q). You have no wasted values in diamonds, which makes your partner's ♦ shortness precious. Accept his invitation and ask aces (or cue-bid).
  • In (2) you have wasted values in diamonds, 3 heart losers, short trumps, and no help in partner's long suit. Bid 3♥.
  
  Partner's hand is:
  
  
  
  Notice that if you are (1), 12 tricks are laydown (5 spades, heart, 5 clubs and a diamond ruff – even on a heart lead).
  If you are are (2), you might go down even in 3♥ on a sharp defense.

Humor on 6 legs

This story comes from Mr A who once came to ask me for advice after a domestic fight:

"My wife hasn't been talking to me in two weeks. So far we always got along fine..."
"Because so far you always decided for the both of you..." I thought to myself.
"Even in bridge we got along just fine!"
"You're always right and she's always wrong," I added.
"It all began when she started to nag me to get someone to spray at home against insects. I told her we don't need to spray anything, but she really insisted. The truth is I don't remember her ever insisting so much on something," he continued, ignoring my sarcastic reply.
(That's true, Mrs A is always gentle, charming and forgiving.)
"So I gave in, I checked prices and ordered the cheapest. It still cost me $200! What a ripoff! The exterminators came on a Thursday afternoon and ruined my bridge day, by the way..."

Here's an example of cooperation between the couple, from the previous week:



After going 3 down, Mr A turns to his wife:
"You should have passed my 2♠. Why did you bid 3♣?"
"And after insisting on clubs, why didn't you save me with 5♣?"
(Maybe she didn't want to hear 5♠?)

But let's get back to the cockroaches:

"Anyway, one day after having the house sprayed, I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night when a huge cockroach jumped on my face. I got so pissed! What did I pay $200 for?"
"Perhaps next time you won't get the cheapest deal, to guarantee the job is properly done?" I dared to suggest.
Ignoring me, he continued "So, I stayed up all night, hunting all the roaches I could find, killed them with my slipper and lined them up in front of my wife's bed, from biggest to smallest, and went back to bed at 6AM. My wife woke up screaming. She didn't stop screaming for more than half an hour. She hasn't been speaking to me ever since. I tried to talk to her, explaining I was only trying to show her I was right and she was wrong..."
"Don't you already do it during your bridge games?" I couldn't help commenting.
"What can I do, this is my humor! And besides, what's wrong with her to not talk to me for two whole weeks? She isn't cooking for me, she refuses to play bridge with me! I have my limits, how much does she think I can take? I do not deserve such treatment."
"That's right, you deserve much worse!" I replied, sympathizing with Mrs A.
"I'll just wait until she apologizes..."
"Not gonna happen, I'm pretty sure of that!"
"Help me! I'm desperate!"
"Well, I'm no Dr Ruth, but running a bridge club, I know a thing or two about people... Normally I would say that a bunch of flowers and a 'Sorry my love, I'll never do it again,' should do the job. But in your case it'll take 2 tickets to an exotic location, in a 5-star hotel. Time works against you, A. Do it now, or it will cost you much more!"

Seeing Through Cards #6

Note: This is an intermediate level problem.

West leads the ♣4 against 3NT. Declarer plays low from dummy.

1. Where is the ♣A?
2. Where is the ♣J?
3. How will you play?

Solution:

1. Where is the ♣A?
   With partner! He led a low club so he must have at least 1 honor. So declarer cannot have ♣AJ. If partner would have the ♣J and declarer the ♣A, declarer would surely play the ♣Q at trick 1, hoping that the ♣K is with West. With Qx you need to play the Q most of the times, also as 2nd hand.
2. Where is the ♣J?
   With South. West's lead (4th best) suggest he has 4 or 5 (if he has the ♣3) cards in club. If declarer doesn't hold the ♣J he would surely try to play the ♣Q. His only hope would be to find West with AKxxx (or AKxx). So declarer has ♣Jx or ♣Jx3 and he hopes that either West has both high honors (and then he wins with the ♣J) or you have 1 of them and... you might make a mistake, playing the 10 or the 9, in an attempt to spare your ♣K seeing ♣Q in dummy.
3. How will you play?
   Win the ♣K and continue with the ♣10 to prevent blocking the suit. Partner will win South's ♣J with his ♣A, continue with his ♣3 (and by that will confirm he started with 5 cards) to your ♣9 and you will continue with your ♣7 to his ♣8. His last club (the ♣6) sets the contract. If you try to play in any other way you will block the suit and West will not be able to cash his last club.

Things to remember:

• When you lead 4th best and your suit is longer than 4 cards, it is important to play the 5th card later to help parter understand you hold at least 5 cards.
• As declarer (and sometimes as defender), you sometimes need to play an honor as 2nd hand, if it's doubleton. For example:
  
  

  a	b	c	d	e
  Qx	Jx	Qx	Qx	Qx
  Kxx	AKx	KTx	Axx	ATx

  • a) Play the Q as 2nd hand. If you play low, East will play the T or J. You will win your K, but your Q is now singleton and will fall to the Ace next round.
  • b) Play the J, hoping that West underlead his Q. If you have AK9, pay attention to the lead! If West has lead a low card (promising an honor) - play the J. If West lead the 8 (2nd, denying honor but promising the T) - play low, capturing East's Q.
  • c) Play low. Your precious T will guarantee two tricks no matter what East plays.
  • d) Play the Q, hoping that West had underled his K.
  • e) Play low. The T guarantees two tricks.
• If dummy's clubs are ♣Qxx and dummy plays low, play the ♣9. (Even if partner has the ♣A, it's useless to play the ♣K as the ♣Q will get promoted.
• What will you do if West leads the ♣6 and dummy plays low from ♣Qx? Partner's lead is probably from ♣8643 (unlikelt from ♣AJ86, because in that case declarer would probably try the ♣Q) so you need to play the ♣9 to prevent declarer from establishing 3 tricks in the suit. (Declarer will win his ♣J but later you win his ♣Q with the ♣K and promote your ♣T).

Double Dummy Challenge #14**

The rules are simple. You get the contract and the lead. You may look at all cards and play accordingly (you are always South). However, the defense can do the same, and they never make mistakes. You must find a way to make the contract against any defense.

Challenge - 14 (Difficulty : Medium)

You are playing 7♠. West leads the ♠Q. You must make your contract against any defense. Good Luck!
















Solution:

Win the ♠A, come back to hand on the ♠K and finesse to the ♦10. Cash the ♦K, return to hand with ♥A and throw the last 2 hearts from dummy on the ♦AJ. Ruff a heart with your last spade in dummy and come back to hand on the ♣K. Draw the last 2 trumps. This is the ending situation:



On the last spade West is squeezed: If he throws the ♥K - your ♥3 becomes high, and if he throws the ♣J - your ♣A8 are high.

Well done to everyone who solved the problem!