Page 200 - Learn Bridge Ver2_Neat

Hand 2.
Í 10 9 8 7
Ì K Q J 9
East says 11 points and West says 2 and that adds Ë K 8
up to 40. Ê 8 6 4

Again in notrump it is clear that clubs are at risk
and so we should look to having a trump suit. Spades Í A K Q J 6 4 3
look the favourite and so keep C. A. L. M. Ì
Count your top tricks by power. Spades 7, hearts 0, Ë A Q 7 6
Ê Q 10
diamonds 3, clubs 0. 10 in total and it looks as if we
can “go game”
Add other sources of tricks. Hearts will guarantee 2 slow tricks by power
at first sight but consider this, where is the heart Ace? As West has
declared 2 points only it must be with East. Okay, how does that help? If
we lead the King of hearts and East plays the Ace we can trump it and if
he plays low we can throw a club (loser). This is called a “ruffing finesse”.
So we should “go game” However, -
Losers, count them just to check. We have two losing clubs only, so that is
okay.
Manage our entries on the ËJ lead. Whoops. We must win in hand
(ignoring “honours from the short hand” as we need the entries to the
table later). We draw trumps and notice that this might only be 1 round if
they both follow suit on the Ace. We cross to the ËK and play the ÌK. If
the Ace is played we trump, cross back by ruffing diamond and throw our
clubs on the hearts. 13 tricks
made!!! Í 10 9 8 7
Ì K Q J 9
Ë K 8
The four hands were -
Ê 8 6 4
Í 2 Í 5
Notice that if they had Ì 10 7 6 3 Ì A 8 5 4 2
led a club we would have Ë J 10 9 3 Ë 5 4 2
only taken 11 tricks but still Ê J 5 3 2 Ê A K 9 7
Í A K Q J 6 4 3
made our game. You should
Ì
also notice that there are 4 Ë A Q 7 6
entries to the dummy, ËK, Ê Q 10
Í10, 9, 8. Do not waste them.

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