BridgeHands

Google BridgeHands

 HOME  Encyclopedia  Newsletter  Laws  Products  Services  Reviews  Tournaments  Blog  Training  Practice   HELP
 You are at:

 

Declarer Play The Bergen Way

 
 
   
 

Order Declarer Play here  Order other Bergen books


Chapter 9 :Drawing Trumps: All, Some, or None ........... 93

 

Chapter 10

Timing is Everything

© 2004 - Marty Bergen


Page 105
Timing is Everything

Maximizing Communication

Contract: 4
Lead:
10
   North
10 9 8 6
A Q J 10
A J
8 6 4
       

 

 
       South
A K Q 4 3
9 8 2
4 2

K 3 2
   

West   North   East     South

  --        1       --        1

Pass      2     Pass      4

All Pass

Question 1: Is this the time to "lose your losers early?"

Question 2: If East has the K and West has the A, how many tricks do you expect to lose?

Question 3: If the opponent’s trumps divide 3-1, how many rounds of trumps will you draw immediately?

© 2004 - Marty Bergen


Page 106
Timing is Everything

Question 1: Is this the time to "lose your losers early?"

Answer: Absolutely not. If you play second hand low, East will win the Q and fire back the Q, and you will lose the first four tricks before you get started.

Question 2: If East has the K and West has the A, how many tricks do you expect to lose?

Answer: Five. 3 club tricks, 1 diamond, and 1 heart, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.

Question 3: If the opponent’s trumps divide 3-1, how many rounds of trumps will you draw immediately?

Answer: Only one! If West has the K, you want to win four heart tricks so you can discard a loser on the fourth heart. This could require three finesses. The necessary three entries are available with your AKQ as long as you use each one to finesse. It would be a shame to find West with the K, and not be able to take three finesses because you wasted your entries.

Therefore, the drawing of trumps must be postponed. Because the opponents are not likely to ruff anything, this is not a problem. Now that you’ve finished planning, you’re ready to play.

Win the diamond lead and lead a spade to your ace. Take the heart finesse. It wins. All right. You lead a second trump to your king as West shows out. Ignore East’s last trump and take a second heart finesse.

© 2004 - Marty Bergen


Page 107
Timing is Everything

When the finesse wins, it is easy to return to your hand with the Q, which draws the last trump. You’re now in your hand to take a third winning heart finesse. Cash the A and discard your last diamond.

Because the A is offside, you will lose three club tricks, but the rest are yours.

A successful finesse is always nice, but good timing is the name of the game.

Here is the entire deal:

Contract: 4
Lead:
10
   North
10 9 8 6
A Q J 10
A J
8 6 4
     West
5
K 6 4 3
10 9 8 7 5
A 7 5
     East
J 7 2
7 5
K Q 6 3

Q J 10 9
       South
A K Q 4 3
9 8 2
4 2

K 3 2
 

© 2004 - Marty Bergen


Chapter 11 : Counting Winners in Suit Contracts ......... 113


HOME  Encyclopedia  Newsletter  Laws  Products  Services  Reviews  Tournaments  Blog  Training Practice Links HELP
Contacts: Sales  Support  Reviews  Q&A    Disclaimer    Privacy    © 2005 BridgeHands   Updated 01/22/11