Archives - Drawing Trumps

Drawing Trumps or Not?

Sometimes the route to success is to postpone the drawing of trumps, perhaps for the purpose of setting up a side-suit (see also Trump Control). Other times the postponement is for the purpose of maintaining communications.

Related Play Problems Play Problem 15

Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games

♠ KQ73

♥ 9

♦ QT82

♣ 9743

14th November, 2007

♠ A9854

♥ 875

♦ 9643

♣ K

          North

West             East

          South

♠ 2

♥ AKQT4

♦ A75

♣ QJ85

Dlr North
Vul None

♠ JT6

♥ J632

♦ KJ

♣ AT62

West North East South

Pass 1♥ Pass

1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass

2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass

4♥ Pass Pass Pass

Assume that South leads the J♠. Declarer can count 4 side-suit tricks, with no prospect of more, and so must come to 6 trump tricks. That’s easy enough if trumps are 3-2, just one ruff is required on the board. But why not try for two ruffs on the board, making 10 tricks even with a bad trump break, and 11 if trumps behave? Here’s how Declarer might play the hand:

J♠ lead won by Dummy’s Ace

K♣ won by South’s Ace

Spade ruffed by Declarer

Q♣ and J♣ pitching two Diamonds from Dummy

Club won by South, Dummy pitching a Diamond

Spade ruffed by Declarer

A♦ and then a Diamond ruff

Heart to the Ace

Now, Declarer leads his last Diamond. South is down to nothing but trumps, so is obliged to use her trump winner to ruff Declarer’s Diamond loser. Making 10 tricks despite the bad trump break. The key plays by Declarer were:

- not drawing trumps, with the hope of getting two ruffs on the board.

- playing the 4^th round of Clubs and pitching a Diamond; this loser-on-loser play was an essential preparation for getting two ruffs on the board.