Cross Ruffing

 

When embarking upon a cross-ruff Declarer's goal is to score his trumps separately by ruffing back and forth without drawing trumps.  Side-suit tricks are usually cashed early in the play.  The defensive counter to an impending cross-ruff is to lead trumps at every opportunity.

 

Related Play Problems        Play Problem 25

                                             Play Problem 34

                                             Play Problem 73

                                             Play Problem 157

 

 

16	♠ A876 ♥ AT54 ♦ 2 ♣ KJT4	10th October, 2007
♠ Q932 ♥ 962 ♦ AT6 ♣ Q76	North West             East           South	♠ JT54 ♥ KQJ3 ♦ KJ8 ♣ 95	Dlr     West Vul     E-W
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ K ♥ 87 ♦ Q97543 ♣ A832	West    North   East     South Pass    1♣       Dbl      1♦ 1♠        Pass    Pass    3♣ Pass    Pass    Pass

 

Against 3♣, East will surely lead the K♥ after which Declarer can scamper to 10 tricks via a cross-ruff:

            K♥ lead won by Declarer’s Ace

            Concede a Diamond

            Q♥ is cashed

            Trump shift, won by Declarer

            A♠ is cashed

Now, Declarer can merrily cross-ruff, scoring 3 side-suit tricks, a natural trump trick, and 6 ruffs.

 

23	♠ 6543 ♥ KJ8754 ♦ 3 ♣ A6	From 2nd January, 2008
♠ 872 ♥ QT96 ♦ T642 ♣ 82	Dummy West             East           South	♠ K ♥ A32 ♦ KQ85 ♣ KQJ93	Dlr     South Vul     Both
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ AQJT9 ♥ ♦ AJ97 ♣ T754	South   West    North   East  1♠        Pass    3♠        Pass 4♠        Pass    Pass    Pass

 

Against 4♠, let’s say that West starts out with a trump.  11 tricks will now follow with a cross-ruff:

            Declarer wins the A♠

            A♦ and a Diamond ruff

            Heart ruff

            Diamond ruff

            Heart ruff, and so on

Declarer scores 5 trumps in her hand, three Diamond ruffs on the board, A♣, A♦, and the K♥ is a surprise 11^th trick when the A♥ comes down in 3 rounds and when East cannot ruff the established K♥.

 

 

25	♠ AT9 ♥ JT32 ♦ 5 ♣ AT943	21st May, 2008
♠ 87 ♥ Q9865 ♦ T642 ♣ 75	North West             East           South	♠ K632 ♥ AK74 ♦ K87 ♣ Q8	Dlr     North Vul     E-W
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ QJ54 ♥ ♦ AQJ93 ♣ KJ62	West    North   East     South             Pass    1NT     2♦ Pass    2♥        Pass    2♠ Pass    Pass    Pass

 

2♦ was DONT, treating the hand as a two-suiter in Diamonds and an undisclosed major, simultaneously bidding her best suit and giving her side a chance to play in the better-scoring major.

 

Playing in 2♠, Declarer can scramble her way to 10 tricks in this fashion:

            Heart ruffed by Declarer

            Cross to Dummy’s A♣

            Finesse the Q♦ (a certainty to win on the bidding)

            Cash A♦

            Ruff a Diamond

            Ruff a Heart

            Cash K♣

            Ruff a Diamond with the Ace

            Ruff a Heart

Declarer has the first 9 tricks and is down the just two trumps, one in each hand.  She leads a Diamond winner ruffing on the board with the Ten.  East can overruff but that just promotes the 10th trick for Declarer’s Queen.  Nicely timed play by Declarer!

 

 

24	♠ KT6 ♥ 985 ♦ 972 ♣ KT53	6th February, 2008
♠ A43 ♥ J76432 ♦ K85 ♣ 6	North West             East           South	♠ QJ875 ♥ A ♦ AT4 ♣ AQ82	Dlr     West Vul     None
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ 92 ♥ KQT ♦ QJ63 ♣ J974	West    North   East     South Pass    Pass    1♠        Pass 2♣       Pass    4♠        Pass Pass    Pass

 

Against 4♠, South might well lead a trump, after which Declarer can score 12 tricks this way:

            Win the A♠

            Club finesse

            Cash A♥

            Ruff two Clubs and two Hearts

            Q♠ losing to North’s King

            Win the return in hand, draw the last trump, enjoy the Hearts

What do you think of that line of play?  Pretty optimistic we would say!  If the Club finesse loses the defense will play two rounds of trumps, holding Declarer to a paltry 8 tricks!  Here’s a more sensible line where Declarer sets his sights lower:

            Win the A♠

            Cross to the A♣

            Cash the A♥

            Ruff a Club, ruff a Heart, ruff a Club

            Cash A♦ and K♦

            Ruff a Heart high

            Exit with the Q♣, hoping that the K♠ is with North or that South is end-played

The cross-ruff is safer but it ends up providing only 10 tricks.

 

 

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