Bridge: At duplicate, balance contract security with aspiration for maximum tricks

Played simply and well, your results may prove far better than expected. This deal yielded a 90 per cent score for a pair of surprised students.

Bidding
Dealer: South
Game All

When dummy first appears, there are many possible outcomes, since there are two key finesses to be taken. However, as well as securing your contract, at duplicate bridge, your eye must be on taking the maximum number of tricks. A few failed in 4S, most made exactly but, for those who aimed for 11 tricks, a fine reward awaited. 

North’s 2NT was a forcing enquiry; South’s 3NT showed a maximum Weak 2 Opener with top trumps. West led 8♣ to East’s ace, and 3♣ was returned. How would you plan for 11 tricks?

Declarer’s plan correctly focused on dummy’s long diamond suit — with seven cards out, a 4-3 split is about a 50 per cent chance — and the need to preserve entries to the table. To this end, South discarded K♣ under East’s ace, winning trick 2 with Q♣. He took the spade finesse and cashed A♠. Declarer attacked dummy’s long suit, playing 5♦ to A♦, K♦ — on which he pitched a heart — and ruffed 6♦ in hand.

He took the heart finesse, which also won, and followed with a fourth round of diamonds, ruffed in hand. He crossed back to dummy’s A♥ and played his fifth diamond. Whether or not East ruffed, declarer could throw away his final heart loser.