Disrupting Declarer's Entries

 

Some examples where the defense has the opportunity to disrupt Declarer's communications.

 

Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games

 

 

28	♠ K853 ♥ AQ65 ♦ 82 ♣ T84	From 3rd June, 2009
♠ 976 ♥ KT8 ♦ AJ75 ♣ J73	North West             East           South	♠ QJT42 ♥ J2 ♦ QT93 ♣ A9	Dlr     West Vul     N-S
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ A ♥ 9743 ♦ K64 ♣ KQ652	West    North   East     South Pass    Pass    1♠        Dbl 2♠        3♥        Pass    Pass Pass?

 

West can reason that both sides probably have 8 trumps, and that if 3♥ is making then (according to the Law of Total Tricks), 3♠ is down two.  That makes it a bargain if 3♠ is mercifully undoubled, but surely North will brandish her red card and make E-W pay the price.  Watch this nice defense against 3♠ doubled:

            Heart won by North’s Queen

            Club shift ducked by Declarer, won by the Queen

            Low Club to Declarer’s Ace

            Low Spade to South’s Ace

            ♣K is ruffed

            Spade Queen is ducked by North (good play!)

            Spade won by North’s King

            ♥A is cashed

Now North plays another Heart, and whether Declarer ruffs this in his hand (to take the Diamond finesse), or wins it on the board, the defense has two more tricks coming.  Down three doubled!  North earned her side a top by (a) doubling 3♠, (b) shifting to a Club at Trick 2, (c) ducking the second round of trumps.  Yes, Declarer could have saved a trick by playing on Diamonds earlier, but that would still have been -300 and an E-W zero.

 

 

23	♠ 53 ♥ KQ642 ♦ A6542 ♣ 8	From 5th August, 2009
♠ AQ9 ♥ J9 ♦ 3 ♣ AKT9752	North West             East           South	♠ J862 ♥ T87 ♦ QJ87 ♣ J4	Dlr     South Vul     Both
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ KT74 ♥ A53 ♦ KT9 ♣ Q63	South   West    North   East  1♣       Pass    1♥        Pass 1♠        Pass    1NT     Pass Pass    2♣       2♦        Pass 2♥       Pass    Pass     Pass

 

After some low-level skirmishing, N-S stumble into their best spot, which is a Heart part-score.  Nine tricks are made provided that Declarer takes the safety play in Diamonds by finessing the Ten on the first-round.

 

West might be tempted to bid on to 3♣.  This will be categorized as a brave effort if West goes down one undoubled, and a foolhardy blunder if it gets doubled and goes for -200.  Mind you, N-S must defend carefully to beat 3♣.  Let’s say that the defense starts with Hearts and Declarer ruffs the third round.  Now Declarer leads the ♠Q, trying to bludgeon his way into Dummy.  But a canny South won’t fall for that and will duck her King.  After that there is no entry to Dummy and no way to avoid the loss of 5 tricks.

 

 

12	♠ J73 ♥ 974 ♦ 652 ♣ A632	From 5th August, 2009
♠ Q865 ♥ KJ532 ♦ 8 ♣ KQT	North West             East           South	♠ K94 ♥ Q8 ♦ AK973 ♣ 985	Dlr     West Vul     N-S
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ AT2 ♥ AT6 ♦ QJT4 ♣ J74	West    North   East     South 1♥        Pass    1NT     Pass 2♣       Pass    2NT     Pass Pass    Pass

 

Whether East or West declares 2NT it looks as if 8 tricks will be made.  Here’s one line of play with East as Declarer:

            ♦Q won by Declarer’s Ace

            ♥Q ducked by South

            Another Heart, ducked again

            South takes the third Heart

            Club to the King and Ace

            Diamond to South’s Jack

            Club won by Dummy’s Ten

            The Hearts are cashed (Declarer pitches two Diamonds)

Now, Dummy’s ♠Q is led which South must be sure to duck.  If she makes the mistake of grabbing the Ace then Declarer will have a Spade entry for that stranded ♦Q, giving her a 9^th trick.

 

 

6	♠ A42 ♥ 432 ♦ K8 ♣ K7532	From 13th September, 2006
♠ Q9875 ♥ AKQ5 ♦ 632 ♣ A	North Dummy       East           South	♠ K ♥ 96 ♦ AJT74 ♣ J9864	Dlr     East  Vul     E-W
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ JT63 ♥ JT87 ♦ Q95 ♣ QT	West   North   East     South                        Pass     Pass 1♠       Pass    1NT     Pass 2♥       Pass    2NT     Pass 3NT    Pass    Pass     Pass

 

We wonder how many Norths were up to the challenge on this deal.  Let’s say that, against 3NT, South leads the J♥.  Now, one obvious route to 9 tricks is as follows:

            Win the A♥

            Finesse the J♦, losing to the Queen

            Win the Heart continuation (or Club shift)

            Play a Diamond to the King and Ace

            Cash the Diamonds

            Knock out the A♠

Pretty simple stuff, eh?  But where was North when the defense needed her?  At Trick Two, when a Diamond is led from the board, she must rise majestically with the King!  This heads-up play gives Declarer two losing options.  The first losing option is to win the Ace, whereafter South will duck the second round of Diamonds and Declarer’s hand will be dead.  The second losing option is more complicated, let’s go through it trick by trick:

            J♥ led, won by the Ace

            Diamond, North playing the King, and Declarer ducking

            Club shift, won on the board

            Diamond to the Jack and Queen

            Cash Q♣

            Spade to Partner’s Ace

            Cash K♣ for the setting trick

Just how clear is it that North should play the K♦ at Trick Two?  Pretty clear, we would say, it’s hard to see how it can lose, and it should be apparent as soon as Dummy tables that Declarer may have trouble with entries to his hand … obviously none in Hearts and Clubs, and maybe none in Spades.  In fairness, this is a much easier play to find when reading a web-site or newspaper than it is when at the table.

 

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