Other End Plays

 

This section is a (currently very small) grab-bag of end-plays which don't fit into any of the other categories.

 

Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games

 

 

19	♠ Q32 ♥ KJT6 ♦ QJ95 ♣ T2
♠ AT84 ♥ A ♦ T43 ♣ KJ987	North West             East           South	♠ K976 ♥ Q8754 ♦ K86 ♣ A	Dlr     South Vul     E-W
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ J5 ♥ 932 ♦ A72 ♣ Q6543	South   West    North   East  Pass    1♣       Pass    1♥ Pass    1♠        Pass    4♠ Pass    Pass    Pass

 

 Against 4♠ North leads the Q♦ and Declarer must duck in Dummy.  North won’t know where the Ten is located, but she will see potential Diamond pitches on the Clubs, so she’ll continue with the J♦ covered by the King and Ace.  The third round of the suit is won by Declarer’s T♦.  Now what?  Declarer’s best chance is to set up the Clubs and, as is so often the case, it’s a good idea to do that before drawing trumps.  So, Declarer cashes the A♣, crosses back to the A♥, cashes the K♣, and ruffs a Club, North pitching a Diamond.  But, with Clubs 5-2, Declarer must change plan and cross-ruff the hand.  Soon he will arrive at this position, with the lead in Dummy:

                                    North

                                    ♠ Q32

                                    ♥ K

                                    ♦

                                    ♣

            Declarer                                  Dummy

            ♠ AT8                                      ♠ K9

            ♥                                              ♥ Q7

            ♦                                              ♦

            ♣ J                                          ♣

                                    South

                                    ♠ J5

                                    ♥ 9

                                    ♦

                                    ♣ Q

A Heart is led from Dummy, which Declarer ruffs.  Now, 10 tricks are assured, but an 11^th materializes unexpectedly when the defense’s “certain” trump trick mysteriously disappears.  Look what happens!  After the Heart is ruffed by Declarer, he leads his last Club and South, who has been stripped of all her side-suits is forced to ruff in front of Dummy.  She will be overruffed, of course, and it will be 11 tricks for Declarer.  It’s called the Devil’s Coup, and it’s quite a rarity.

 

Yes, North could have done better.  While Dummy is ruffing Clubs she must pitch her Hearts (even though that sets up Dummy’s Q♥) and keep a Diamond.  Now, in the end-position, Declarer cannot ruff the Heart low without being overruffed.

 

© BES, Inc

All Rights Reserved