|
Elimination Play
As the name suggests, an Elimination Play involves removing the victim's safe exit cards so that he has no choice but to surrender a trick later in the play.
Related Play Problems Play Problem 53
Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games
North leads the ♠K, won by Dummy’s Ace. Next Declarer cashes the ♥AK and discovers that he has a trump loser. Now it might appear that Declarer is in dire straits, requiring a doubleton ♣Q in order to make his contract. Not so, Declarer can embark on an elimination play which will greatly increase his chances. Next, he crosses to the ♦A, ruffs a Spade, cashes two more Diamonds, the ♣AK, then the last Diamond. As it happens, North follows to all of the above, and Declarer throws her in with a trump. Now, at Trick 12, North, left with only Spades, is forced to concede a ruff and discard, allowing the Club loser to vanish into thin air.
The elimination play greatly increases Declarer’s odds. Instead of relying on a singleton or doubleton ♣Q (a total of 33%) he also gains whenever: - North has a small doubleton Club and at least three Diamonds - North has a singleton Club and no more than three Diamonds
Against 4♠ North leads a Club and Declarer can make a surprising 11 tricks with this line of play: Win A♣ (pitching a Heart from hand) Ruff a Club Cross to Dummy with a Spade Ruff a Club Cross to Dummy with a Spade Lead a Diamond, playing the Nine and forcing the Ace Now, whatever North does, there is no way that she can score more than her two Aces. Declarer did two good things here: (a) he ruffed out North’s Clubs; (b) he finessed the Diamond Nine, his only chance for 3 Diamond tricks and hence 11 total tricks. Oh, yes, and let’s not forget that there is also (c) while West was ruffing those Clubs he carefully preserved a low Spade in his hand for a later entry to the board. Well done those Wests who made 11 tricks, that was no doubt worth an astonishing number of matchpoints.
Some intrepid Easts might compete to 3♠ and they will have to end-play North just to escape for down one: Diamond to the King and Ace Trump shift and three rounds are drawn Cash ♦Q Run the ♥T, losing to North’s Jack Now, North can cash the ♥A but is now forced either to lead a Club or to concede a ruff and sluff in Diamonds. Either way, it’s 8 tricks for Declarer.
Suppose that South bizarrely starts out with the Q♠, and further suppose that you have been told your very life depends upon your making 11 tricks. Then perhaps you might try this exotic (but contract-risking) line of play: Win the Spade opening lead with the Ace Cross to the A♥ Ruff a Spade Back to the A♦ Ruff a Spade Cash the K♦ Ruff the good Q♦! Ruff another Spade Exit a Heart North can cash her second Heart, but has been stripped of everything but Clubs. On the Club return, you must guess correctly to hop with the Queen. Now, you cross to the A♣ to cash the established Spade, and you will live to fight another day.
Let’s say that South leads a Spade. How would you play 6♥? It’s pretty simple, really, just draw the trumps, eliminate the Spades and Diamonds, cash the A♣ and lead towards Dummy’s Clubs. Now, it really doesn’t matter if you guess to play the Ten or the Queen … if North started with KJx you are down, if she wins with a doubleton honor, she’ll be end-played. Of course, the bidding tells us that the K♣ is probably with South, but that’s no reason not to eliminate the side-suits as a precaution against a bizarre opponent.
4♠ is the likely final contract and South no doubt leads a Heart, won on the board. Here is a not completely far-fetched line of play for 12 tricks: Opening Heart lead, won on the board Heart ruffed high Cross to the K♠ Heart ruffed high Cross to the 9♠ Low Diamond to the Queen Diamond ducked to North’s Ace Now, North is end-played! She must concede a ruff and sluff, or else she must give up a Club trick, and either will hand Declarer his 12th trick. Yes, North was asleep at the switch. When the low Diamond was led from the board she had to rise majestically with the Ace and exit a Diamond. This gives Declarer three Diamond tricks, but that is not much help, the defense will still get its 2 tricks in the fullness of time.
N-S have mirror distributions, square hands and a combined 23 HCP’s. That’s not normally enough stuff for 3NT but here that contract cruises home. Of course it helps that the Q♥ and K♦ and K♣ are all favorably placed. A Diamond part-score is a more likely end-result, and that’s a contract which also makes 9 tricks. Or is it 10? It all depends on whether the defense can score a second Heart trick: - If West leads a Heart, then it’s sayonara to the second Heart trick. - If West makes the highly aggressive and dangerous lead of the J♣, then Declarer can organize an end-play. He jumps up with Dummy’s Queen, draws trumps, knocks out the A♠, plays the remaining Spades, and end-plays West by throwing him in with the K♣. Now West has two losing choices. He can play a Club conceding a ruff and discard, or he can break open the Hearts and lose a trick that way. - We cannot see any good reason why West should start out with a Spade, and that leaves the trump suit, which does indeed hold Declarer to 9 tricks.
© BES, Inc All Rights Reserved | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home PlayArchives BiddingArchives Conventions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
