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BRIDGE BITES #105
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VANISHING TRUMP
TRICK
Brian Gunnell |
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♠ 52
♥
AJ
♦
9872
♣ AQJT9 |
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E-W Vulnerable
South West North
East
Pass 1♣ Pass
1♠ Pass
2♣ Pass
2♥
Pass 2♠ Pass
3♠ Pass
Pass Pass
None of the N-S bids was
completely terrible, but the auction worked out badly, leaving South to
labor in a poor 3♠ contract. But careful timing and accurate card
reading will win the day.
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Dummy
West East
Declarer |
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♠ AT764
♥
KQT3
♦
Q6
♣ 42 |
West leads a low Diamond to
East’s Ace, a Diamond is returned to West’s King, and you ruff West’s
♦J.
Things are looking pretty bleak! For starters, you will need the Club finesse
to work. And then there is the small matter of the trump suit, where you can
afford only two losers. Doesn’t that require the suit to be 3-3? Not
necessarily!
►
After ruffing the Diamond, you
cash the ♠A and exit a low Spade, West following with the Jack and then winning
the second round with the King. West exits with a Heart won by Dummy’s Ace,
then the ♥J
is overtaken by the King. You could now exit with a Spade, making your contract
if Spades are 3-3. Is that a good idea?
►
No, West has shown up with
♦KJ
and ♠KJ and needs to have the ♣K if the contract is to make. That’s 11 HCP, so
West cannot also have the ♠Q, that would give him an opening bid. To have a
chance, you must assume that West started with ♠KJ doubleton and East with
♠Q983. But if that is the case, doesn’t East have two trump tricks coming? Not
necessarily!
►
Leaving East’s ♠Q9 at large,
Declarer finesses the ♣Q, ruffs a Diamond, cashes a third Heart (playing East to
be 4=3=4=2), and crosses to the ♣A (no need to repeat the Club finesse).
Declarer has carefully arranged to get the lead in Dummy with just two cards
left. East has ♠Q9, and Declarer has the ♠T and a Heart. Dummy leads a Club
and, whether East ruffs high or ruffs low, one of his two Spade “winners”
vanishes! It’s called a Coup en Passant.
►
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♠ 52
♥
AJ
♦
9872
♣ AQJT9 |
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♠ KJ
♥
9642
♦
KJ5
♣ K753 |
Dummy
West East
Declarer |
♠ Q983
♥
875
♦
AT43
♣ 86 |
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♠ AT764
♥
KQT3
♦
Q6
♣ 42 |
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