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Avoidance Play
An Avoidance Play is one that is designed to keep a particular defender off lead. For example, when we are setting up our suit and have a choice of plays, we sometimes choose one particular line over another, not because it is theoretically better way to handle the suit combination, but because it loses a trick to the "safe" hand. A couple of examples will clarify the idea.
Related Play Problems Play Problem 8
Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games
Against 3♥ (or 4♥), North can hold Declarer to 9 tricks by leading a trump, but more likely she will lead the Spade Ten. Here’s how Declarer rakes in 10 tricks: Spade finesse loses to South’s King Heart to North’s Ace Heart won by Declarer Cross to the ♠A Club finesse and Spade ruff Club finesse and Spade ruff Exit with the ♦K Ruff a Diamond Draw last trump Cash Clubs Exiting with the ♦K was a good play, designed to keep the danger hand off lead and avoid a Club ruff. But, as it happened, there was no danger hand. Well, it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it? J
The bidding is routine, the play quite complicated. Declarer has finesses to take in both black suits, and additionally must decide how to play the Diamonds. There is something to be said for leading a Diamond towards Declarer’s Jack … if South pops up with the Queen then there will be three Diamond tricks (and a Club pitch) … and if North has the ♦Q then that hand cannot attack Clubs profitably. With that thought in mind, the play might go: Heart lead won by Dummy’s King Spade to West’s Jack Cash ♠A Cash ♥A Ruff a Heart Low Diamond, won by South’s Queen Club shift, Declarer’s Queen losing to North’s King Declarer wins Club return. Now the Diamonds are cashed and a Club pitched. South eventually scores her Spade (it would not have helped her to cash it earlier), but Declarer has 10 tricks. Nicely played!
Suppose that, in the auction, North is less sanguine and passes 3♣. West will probably lead a Diamond won by Declarer’s Ace. Declarer now makes the fine play of the ♥K! This puts West back on lead, and Declarer’s her plan is to get two Heart ruffs without letting in East for a Spade shift. West might exit a Club, but to no avail. Dummy does indeed get two ruffs, and also a Spade pitch on the ♦K. Late in the play Declarer will lead up to the ♠K, but with the ♠A (predictably) offside that will be just 10 tricks. Nicely bid by N-S, and also nicely played … but still losing matchpoints to the 3NT optimists.
North’s sequence showed a game-invitational hand with 9 HCP. Some might bid 3NT instead of 2♠, it’s pretty close either way. South has a rather dismal 15-count, but nonetheless there are 9 (most lucky) tricks in No Trump. For example: Club to East’s Eight and Declarer’s Queen ♠A is cashed Spade to the Jack, Queen, King Club to the Ace Spade to the Ten Diamond to the King Cash ♠9 Finesse ♦J Cash ♦A Declarer now has 8 tricks and is stuck in hand holding just ♥KJ84. She spectacularly exits with the ♥K, losing to West and squashing East’s Queen! West can cash a couple of Diamonds but must concede the 9th trick to Declarer’s Jack.
6♥ is a pretty decent contract, requiring no more than: - 2-1 trumps and 4-2 or 3-3 Clubs - 3-0 trumps and 3-3 Clubs - 3-0 trumps with the doubleton ♣Q Our resident math professor is on vacation but even we can see that the odds of 6♥ making are at least 70% (perhaps lessened somewhat when South preempts vigorously). Anyway, as it happens, the trumps and Clubs do not behave and 11 tricks is the maximum. That’s bad luck for those who bid this fine slam.
How do N-S fare in 4♠ doubled? At first glance, South has 6 Spade tricks and nothing else because the ♥A is stranded. But the good news is that, one way or another, two more tricks will materialize. For example: ♦A is cashed Spade shift won in Dummy ♥A, pitching a Diamond Club to East’s King Heart ruff ♣Q is led by Declarer, won by East Now Declarer can score a Club ruff in Dummy and escape for down two. Note the importance of exiting with the ♣Q, making sure that the hand with no trumps is forced to win the trick. Down two and -500 should be a decent result for N-S, we don’t see many E-W pairs getting to their unlucky slam.
After this auction, a Heart lead will seem most unattractive to East, and the safest and most obvious start is the J♣. Now, the safe way to play the contract, and also one which gives you good overtrick chances, is to win the opening Club lead with the Ace, and run the 9♠ (this is the best way to develop the Spade suit while also keeping West off lead and avoiding the potentially dangerous Heart shift). Normally (and on the actual hand) this will lose to the Queen or Jack, and a Club will come back. Now, Declarer cashes KQ♦, then a Diamond to the Ace. Then, another Spade lead collects 10 tricks. And, if the Diamonds had been more accommodating, it would have been 11 tricks.
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