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Recall our three favorite techniques to win extra
tricks:
1. Promote a long suit, discarding losers in
other hand
2. Finessing a suit with broken honors
3. Ruffing losers, typically trumping declarers losers in dummy
The above rank order underscores declarer's top
tactics.
The rank order also highlights declarer's
priority where careful transportation management recurs with
regularity So let's begin our journey by reinforcing our
understanding of suit promotion.
On these hands, how many tricks are available?
Playing in Notrump, how many times must we lose
the lead before establishing our tricks?
1. A K Q
J 10 9
2. A J 10 4
K Q 3 2
3. A 7 6 5 4
K 10 9
4. Q J 10 5 4
A K 9
5. J 10 9 8
K Q 7 6
6. Q 9 8 7 6 5
J 10 2
Times Lose Lead Trick Possible
1. 0 3 of
3
2. 0 4 of
4
3. 1+ (to Queen, etc) 4 of 5,
assume 3-2 split (A K 7 6)
4. 0 5 of
5, careful play see below
5. 1 (to Ace) 3 of 4 (K
Q J)
6. 2 (to Ace, King) 4 of 6 (Q J
9 8), slow tricks see below
What can we say about transportation on these
hands?
1. A K Q
J 10 9
North must win all 3 tricks, South cannot obtain
the lead - no suit entry.
2. A J 10 4
K Q 3 2
Of 4 tricks, South can win 1 or 2 tricks,
declarer's option. If for some reason you require 3 entries to
North's hand, you could play either the King or Queen and
overtake (smother) it with the Ace. The 3 entries would be the
Ace, Jack and 10.
3. A 7 6 5 4
K 10 9
If suit break 3-2 for opponents, 3 tricks are
available for North, 1 for South. But what if you didn't have
any outside entries into North's hand? If that were the case,
the sequence of playing the cards is critical. Instead of
beginning with the Ace-King, here's the correct order:
a. Lose either the first or second trick.
b. Win the initial trick in the South hand.
c. The key here is to win the third trick in the
dummy (Ace this time).
Assuming a normal 3-2 split (about two-thirds of
the time), after winning the third trick in North's hand we have
earned two extra tricks.
Here's a general tip - "First win with the high
card (honor) from the short length side."
If we were to win either the first or second
trick with North's Ace, the hand is stranded - sorry, no more
entries.
How sad, too bad.
Love, Dad (wink)
By the way, losing the necessary trick to promote
the long suit in North's hand is known as a ducking or a hold-up
play.
4. Q J 10 5 4
A K 9
Okay, here's your chance to demonstrate you
understand the concept of playing the HIGH card/s from the SHORT
side. Again, assume no side suit entries to North's hand. On
the first two tricks, what cards should be played from South's
hands? Great - the Ace and the King. Initially winning a high
card from North's hand would strand two lovely tricks. So the
correct sequence is: win the Ace, next win the King, then play
the 9 to North's Queen. Voila, now you can cash the Jack and 10
for five winners. Way to go.
5. J 10 9 8
K Q 7 6
After driving out opponents Ace, you have 3
tricks. If you needed 2 entries into North's hand, what cards
would you play? Begin with South's King-Queen. After the Ace
is played, you win the Queen. Now you have two entries to
North's hand. What if instead you needed 2 entries into
South's hand? Then you would first play North's Jack-10 to
drive out the Ace. Okay so far?
6. Q 9 8 7 6 5
J 10 2
Assume no outside entries to North's hand. What
are your thoughts on play this time? Be careful, dangerous road
ahead! Here you MUST NOT play North's Queen until the third
trick. While South's Jack and 10 don't look all that high, in
fact they are higher than everything but the Queen in North's
hand. So again we live by the rule - first play the HIGH cards
from the SHORT length side.
Later in this series, as defenders we will
explore counter-tactics to disrupt declarer's transportation.
Here's a prelude to a later lesson. Let's say you held East's
hand:
Q 9 8 7 6 5
4 A K 3
J 10 2
Assuming the above strategy, as East do you see a
way to disrupt the "communication line" to North's hand? Let's
say you too played LOW on the first trick, winning the second
and later the third trick. Now what? Here's the hands after
trick 2:
Q 9 8 7
-- A
2
Oh oh, this time when East was clever enough to
also use a hold-up play and duck an initial trick, poor South
finds North's hand is stranded.
Finally, let's examine a classic example
illustrating how thoughtful pre-planning can generate extra
tricks. Okay, put on your thinking cap and off we go. . .
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