Blocking & Unblocking on Defense

 

Some examples where it behooves the defense to block Declarer's suits or unblock its own suits.

 

Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games

 

 

 25

♠ J753

987

8765

♣ 53

 

 

 

5th January, 2011

♠ K984

AK4

43

♣ AKJ9

          North

West             East

          South

♠ A6

QT5

K92

♣ T8742

 

Dlr     North
Vul     E-W 

 


 
 
 
 
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♠ QT2

J632

AQJT

♣ Q6

West    North   East     South

            Pass    Pass    1

Dbl      Pass    1NT     Pass

3NT     Pass    Pass    Pass

 

If South leads a Diamond then Declarer has 11 top tricks when the Clubs behave.  But is a Diamond lead really such a good idea?  Declarer is virtually certain to have the K, added to which South does not have any obvious entries to her established Diamonds.  A major suit lead looks preferable, let’s say that South chooses a Spade, and let’s make it the Ten, that might help force an entry into North’s hand.  The play might go:

            Spade Ten opening lead won by Declarer’s Ace

            Clubs are cashed (South pitching Hearts, Dummy pitching a Spade)

            Hearts are cashed (South pitches two Diamonds)

Now, Declarer will cash the ♠K (his 10th trick) and exit a Spade, hoping to throw in South for a Diamond end-play.  But South will alertly throw her ♠Q under the King, allowing North to win the third round of Spades with her Jack and fire a Diamond through.

 

That was a fine opening lead and good defense.  An opening Heart lead (or even a Club!) will also hold Declarer to 10 tricks (provided that South unblocks the ♠Q at some point).  However, the opening lead of a low Spade does not work, as Dummy’s Nine forces North’s Jack, after which South cannot escape the end-play.

 

 

 

 1

♠ T98

T95

AJ95

♣ A86

 

 

 

5th November, 2011

♠ Q3

AK7

K82

♣ KQ752

          North

West             East

          South

♠ K5

J8432

T743

♣ J3


Dlr     North   
Vul     None 



 

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♠ AJ7642

Q6

Q6

♣ T94

West    North   East     South

            Pass    Pass    2

Dbl      3        Pass    Pass

Pass

 

How does 3 do?  With accurate defense, 3 is down a trick (losing a trump, two Hearts and two Clubs), but there are some traps for unwary defenders.  For example:

            The A and K are cashed

            Heart ruff

            Lose a Club

            Win Club return

            Cross to the A

            Q covered by the King and Ace

            Lose to the K

Now East is end-played!  He has no Clubs left and must concede a ruff and sluff in Hearts or else lead into Dummy’s Diamond tenace.  That was well-timed play by Declarer, taking that Diamond finesse and losing a Club before playing on trumps.  With lesser lines of play 3 will be down a trick.

 

So how does the defense beat 3?  East must unblock the Spade King!  Even looking at only two hands, we think that East should see the end-play coming and find the unblock.  Easy for us to say, looking at all four hands.

 

 

 11

♠ A43

KJ3

J876

♣ K52

 

 

 

7th July, 2010

♠ QJT8

62

Q932

♣ 876

          North

West             East

          South

♠ 975

QT874

A4

♣ T43

 
Dlr     South
Vul     None 


 
 
 
 
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♠ K62

A95

KT5

♣ AQJ9

South   West    North   East 

1NT     Pass    3NT     Pass

Pass    Pass

 

West leads the ♠Q, and let’s say that this trick is ducked and that Declarer wins the second Spade on the board.  Declarer loses the Diamond finesse to West’s Queen, and wins the Spade return.  Now it’s over to Dummy for another Diamond lead and, when East pops up with the A and has no Spade to cash, Declarer is home with 10 tricks.

 

Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that East goofed on the defense!  Yes, he must hop up with the Ace on the first round of Diamonds, protecting West’s entry to the long Spade.  Now it is West who wins the defense’s second Diamond trick and can cash that 13th Spade, holding Declarer to 9 tricks.  Jumping up with the A was an alert play.  Well done to all those Easts out there who managed to find it!

 

 

 7

♠ Q8753

J98

J93

♣ 65

 

 

 

From 1st October, 2008

♠ AJ6

KT

AKT76

♣ KJ2

          North

West             East

          South

♠ T942

Q2

842

♣ QT84

 

Dlr     South
Vul     Both 


 
 
 
 
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♠ K

A76543

Q5

♣ A973

South   West    North   East 

1        Dbl      Pass    1♠

2        2NT     Pass    Pass

Pass

 

North knew that her side had a 9-card fit, but her modest collection of Queens and Jacks was not quite enough to compete to the 3-level, at least not vulnerable.  In fact, 3 is going down one, and, after West’s strong bidding, East might well try a sporting double along the way.

 

In 2NT the play is most interesting.  Here is one line where the defense lets Declarer escape with 9 tricks:

            Heart lead to the Queen and South’s Ace

            Heart to Declarer’s Queen (the suit is now blocked!)

            The K♣ is ducked

            The J♣ is ducked

Now, let’s say that Declarer cleverly reads the suit as being 4-2 (perhaps North gave an ill-advised count signal).  That being the case, he cannot persist with Clubs, that would allow North to pitch her blocking Heart on the trick, allowing South to win the A♣ and rattle off the Hearts.  So, Declarer changes tack, playing A, K and out a Diamond.  North wins the Diamond, cashes her good Heart, and exits a Spade (that’s all that she has left).  Declarer wins, cashes his good Diamonds, and reverts to Spades, scoring 9 tricks in all.  Poor South never did score her A♣, nor the long Hearts.

 

Of course, the defense can do better than that!  South must duck the first Heart!  Having done that, she must also duck the first two Clubs as before.  Now, when North gets in with her J, she crosses to Partner’s A, dumps her blocking Heart on the A♣, and watches gleefully as South cashes 4 more Hearts.  Down two!

 

 

 24

♠ J75

J52

86532

♣ T9




From 2nd May, 2007

♠ K8

AK873

JT

♣ A852

          North

West        Dummy

          South

♠ AQT

96

KQ94

♣ Q743

 

Dlr     West
Vul     None 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 96432

QT4

A7

♣ KJ6

West    North   East     South

1        Pass    2        Pass

2NT     Pass    3NT     Pass

Pass    Pass

 

In 3NT it looks as if 10 tricks will be made, provided that South does not fall into this trap:

            Spade lead won by Declarer

            J, correctly ducked by South

            Diamond to South’s Ace

            Spade return, won on the board

            Diamonds cashed, Declarer pitching Clubs, South pitching Spades

            A♠ cashed, Declarer pitching another Club

            A and K are cashed

            A Heart is lost to South’s Queen.

Now, 11 tricks are made.  South had to unblock the Queen on the second round of Hearts, so that her Partner wins the third round and cashes the Diamond winner.

 

 

 22

♠ 76

QJT98

Q9852

♣ 6




3rd October, 2007

♠ T9532

AK64

J3

♣ K9

          North

West       Dummy

          South

♠ J8

732

KT6

♣ T8752

 

 Dlr     East
 Vul     E-W 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AKQ4

5

A74

♣ AQJ43

West    North   East     South

                        Pass    1♣

1♠        Dbl      Pass    Pass

Pass

 

As it happens, N-S cannot make game, but with good defense they can score 500 from defending 1♠ doubled.  Here is how the play could develop:

            North leads a Club to South’s Ace

            Club Three (suit preference), ruffed by North

            Diamond switch, low from Dummy, to North’s Ace, Declarer unblocking the Jack

            Q♣ ruffed with Declarer’s Ten

            Spade to South’s Queen

Now, Declarer can escape for down one as one of the Heart losers goes away on a Diamond.  What went wrong?  Either defender could have been a star on the board:

-         South could have ducked the first round of Diamonds, cutting off the Dummy, and ensuring that Declarer will eventually wind up with two Heart losers.

-         North could have made the truly spectacular return (after the Club ruff) of the Q!  Quite a play, blocking the suit and ensuring that there will be no second Diamond trick for Declarer.

 

 

 16

♠ AKT7

AT84

A53

♣ 54




31st October, 2007

♠ 65

KJ65

K986

♣ Q76

          North

West             East

        Dummy

♠ QJ93

Q32

Q2

♣ KT32

 

Dlr     West
Vul     E-W 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 642

97

JT74

♣ AJ98

West    North   East     South

Pass    1NT     Pass    Pass

Pass

 

Against 1NT, East leads the Q♠ and Declarer craftily ducks.  West will have played the Five, which is the lowest missing Spade.  As such, it looks to be discouraging but it could be from T5 or K5 (with A5 West might overtake and return the suit).  Let’s say that East guesses right and decides to switch.  All exits are potentially dangerous, what would be your choice?

 

How about the quite spectacular shift to the K♣?!  Yes, it’s an expert blocking play which can hardly cost when you stop to think about it:

-         If Declarer has Qxx, she can always make 4 tricks in the suit.

-         If Declarer has Qx, she can win the Ace and unblock the Queen, and later risk the Club finesse for the same 3 tricks she could always make in Clubs.

-         If Declarer has xxx, she always had 3 tricks in the suit.

-         If Declarer has xx, the only way to hold her to one trick in Clubs is to play the King on the first round, either by the K♣ shift, or by rising with the King later in the play when Declarer leads a Club towards the board.

 

Here’s how the play might develop:

            Q♠ opening lead is ducked by Declarer

            K♣ won by Declarer’s Ace

            A♠ and K♠ are cashed

            Declarer exits a Spade

            Q♣ is cashed

            West shifts to a Diamond to East’s Queen

            Heart to the King and Declarer’s Ace

            Heart to East’s Queen

            Heart to West’s Hack

            Heart won by Declarer

Now, with just two cards left, Declarer must concede the setting trick to West’s K.  Nice defense!

 

 

 7

♠ KQ9

Q86

T7632

♣ 65




From 2nd Han, 2008

♠ 876

K42

AK98

♣ J94

          North

Dummy       East

          South

♠ 52

A973

J4

♣ AKQT8

 

Dlr     South
Vul     Both 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AJT43

JT5

Q5

♣ 732

South   West    North   East 

Pass    Pass    Pass    1♣

1♠       Dbl      2♠        3

Pass    4        All Pass

 

The play in 4 is quite fascinating!  For Declarer to have a chance of making the contract, trumps must be 3-3, but even then some stellar defensive play will set the contract.  To have a chance the defense must start with three rounds of Spades, and the first line we’ll look at is one where the defense drops the ball

Take 1:

            Two rounds of Spades are cashed

            The third round of Spades is ruffed

            The Heart Seven is ducked around to North

In with the Heart trick, North has no Spades to lead, so Declarer wins the return, draws trumps, and has 10 tricks.  Cut!

 

Take 2:  For the defense to prevail they must to make sure that South wins the defense’s Heart trick, allowing Spades to be continued and causing Declarer to lose trump control.  So, when the Heart Seven is led, South must split her honors, preventing the ducking of the trick into the North hand.  If South does indeed split, Dummy must win the trick, and now another Heart is led from Dummy.  North plays low, Declarer’s Ace wins, and now Declarer can safely exit to North’s Q, making his contract.  The defenders have bungled again.  Cut!

 

Take 3:   Yes, on the second round of trumps, North might jump up with the Queen, trying to unblock the suit and force an entry into South’s hand.  But that doesn’t work, Declarer simply ducks the trick.  Cut!

 

Take 4:   Let’s roll the cameras one last time and take a look at the winning defense.

            Two rounds of Spades are cashed

            The third round of Spades is ruffed

            The 7 is led, South splits her honors, Dummy plays the King, North unblocks the Queen!

Stellar defense, now whatever Declarer does, he will be down one.

 

 

 1

♠ AT5

A743

Q852

♣ J8

 

 

 

From 16th January, 2008

♠ 863

T9865

JT6

♣ 54

          North

West             East

         Dummy

♠ QJ4

Q2

AK743

♣ KT3


Dlr     North   
Vul     None 



 

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♠ K972

KJ

9

♣ AQ9762

West    North   East     South

            Pass    1NT     Dbl

Pass    2♣       2         3♣

Pass    3NT    All Pass

 

Against 3NT, East will probably lead a low Diamond, and that gives Declarer an easy 11 tricks provided that she can pick up the Club suit.  The play is much more fun if East tries the surprise attack of the Q♠ on opening lead (not that we think he should).  Declarer does not have the dummy entries to pick up both black suits, so she’ll win the A♠ in hand, and play on Clubs.  Here’s how the play might go:

            Q♠ won by Declarer’s Ace

            J♣ covered by the King and Ace

            Back to hand with the A

            Finesse the T♣

            Cash the remaining 4 Club winners

            Cash the K

Here’s the end-position:

                                    Declarer

                                    ♠ T5

                                   

                                    Q8

                                    ♣

            West                                        East

                                                         ♠ J4

            T9                                       

            JT                                         AK

            ♣                                             ♣

                                    Dummy

                                    K97

                                   

                                    9

                                    ♣

If Declarer remembers the bidding and if she has been watching the discards carefully, it will be a simple matter to exit with a Diamond, throwing East in and scoring the 11th trick when East is forced to return a Spade.  An unlucky lead by East?  Not really, but it was poor defense to hang grimly on to those high Diamonds.  On the run of the Clubs, East should have seen the end-play coming and his only hope was to jettison a high Diamond, hoping that West had something good in that suit  If, in the diagram shown, East’s remaining Diamonds are K7 then West will be able to get in with a Diamond, and instead of gaining a trick, the throw-in will actually cost a trick.  Nice defense!

 

 

 5

♠ AQ964

J6

AK

♣ AJ52




7th May, 2008

♠ KJ87

AT52

JT43

♣ 4

          North

West             East

         
South

♠ T532

843

Q85

♣ K83

 

Dlr     North
Vul     N-S 


 
 
 
 
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KQ97

9762

♣ QT976

West    North   East     South

            1♠        Pass    1NT

Pass    3NT     Pass    Pass

Pass

 

If South ends up declaring 3NT she makes an easy overtrick if West decides to lead a Heart.  A low Diamond opening lead is less comfortable.  She wins on the board and leads the J, which West should duck to disrupt Declarer’s communications.  Deprived of an entry to her hand, Declarer now plays A♣ and out a Club.  East wins and returns a Diamond.  Which one?  Yes, the Queen!  This unblocks the suit and allows the defense to come to 4 tricks.

 

 

 31

T965

T42

♣ AQT965




7th May, 2008

♠ A76

QJ3

KJ96

♣ 832

          North

West             East

         
South

♠ Q952

AK

A8753

♣ K4

 

Dlr     South
Vul     N-S 


 
 
 
 
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♠ KJT843

8742

Q

♣ J7

South   West    North   East 

2♠        Pass    Pass    2NT

Pass    3NT     Pass    Pass

Pass

 

Against 3NT, the opening lead that initially makes Declarer the most nervous is the J♣.  North ducks this, but then the Diamonds behave, so Declarer has 10 tricks, no more, no less.

 

Life is more fun if the opening lead is the optimistic J♠.  Now Declarer wins the Queen, tests the Diamonds, unblocks the AK, runs the Diamonds, cashes the A♠ and Q.  Declarer has won the first 10 tricks and has a free shot at an 11th by leading towards the K♣.  North can win this and cash her T, but the K♣ does indeed end up scoring the 11th trick.  Do you spot a flaw in North’s play?  Yes, if she was on top of her game she could have unblocked the T and 9!  Now at Trick Ten, when the Club is led, North hops up with the Ace, leads a carefully preserved low Heart to South’s mighty Eight, and a Spade is cashed, holding Declarer to 10 tricks.  Well done, you Norths who found that nice unblocking play, thereby overcoming Partner’s unfortunate choice of opening lead.  Sure, East could have made 11 tricks anyway by leading towards the K♣ earlier in the play, but that would have been very risky indeed.

 

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