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More Declarer Play The Bergen Way

 
 
   
 

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Chapter 13: Counting Winners in Suit Contracts ............... 141

 

Chapter 14

Good Guys, Bad Trumps

© 2006 - Marty Bergen


Page 153
Good Guys, Bad Trumps

Avoiding the Dangerous Opponent

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

8 5 3
   

West   North   East     South

   --      1       1      3

Pass     4      All Pass

After 1 – 1, you are not strong enough to bid 2, but after partner opens, you’d like to show your suit. The solution is to jump to 3, an example of a Weak Jump-Shift (WJS) in Competition, promising a weak hand with a long suit (6 or 7 cards). After partner opens and your RHO doubles or bids (nonjump), your jump-shift should be defined as weak.

Fortunately for you, West leads his partner’s suit. You wouldn’t have enjoyed a club lead. On this auction, East probably has the A.

© 2006- Marty Bergen


Page 154
Good Guys, Bad Trumps

You could lose three clubs and a diamond. Clearly, you’d like to establish dummy’s diamond suit and discard a club loser (or two) after you concede a diamond. However, if West is able to gain the lead, a club lead through dummy’s king would prove fatal.

In fact, it would be fair to say that you are more than willing to lose a trick to East as opposed to West. If East, the harmless opponent, leads clubs, dummy’s K is a sure winner, because North would have the luxury of playing fourth to the trick. One of the most important principles for both declarers and defenders is: “if you have some strength, playing last is best.”

On the other hand, if you ever lose a trick to West, he should switch to a club through your K, and then you rate to lose three club tricks and be down one. On this hand, because West can hurt you if he obtains the lead, he is the dangerous opponent.

Back to trick one. You have an opportunity to lose a trick to East, your current favorite opponent. Great! Although it is rare to lose a trick in a suit contract with a singleton opposite an ace, never say never, especially if you have a good reason.

Play dummy’s 5 and let East win the trick. At this point, even if you showed him your hand, he can’t hurt you. He is not endplayed; but, because dummy plays last when East leads, he is welcome to lead clubs.

© 2006- Marty Bergen


Page 155
Good Guys, Bad Trumps

In fact, East returns a spade. What loser will you discard from your hand? Consider carefully before reading on.

When I use this hand in my classes, too many students are eager to discard a loser in their weakest suit (clubs). Not so fast! If you do, you will still have the same problem you started with. When you lose a diamond, West will win and shift to clubs, and down you’ll go.

Instead, you must discard the 2. You now have only two diamonds, so you no longer have to worry about West’s winning a diamond trick and shifting to a club through dummy’s K. As long as diamonds split 3-2, you can easily set them up by ruffing the third round.

{N-S cards repeated for convenience}

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

8 5 3
   

© 2006- Marty Bergen


Page 156
Good Guys, Bad Trumps

You cash the A and everyone follows. You should now temporarily abandon trumps. If diamonds split 4-1, you need to save dummy’s K J to ensure that you’ll be able to set up dummy’s fifth diamond.

You cash the A and K and everyone follows. Finally, all is well. When you lead a third diamond, East discards a spade, so you ruff low. Now that the diamonds are established, you’re ready to draw West’s remaining trumps with dummy’s K J. You discard two club losers on dummy’s now-lovely diamonds and concede one club trick. Making five.
 

Here is the entire deal:

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

8 5 3
   

© 2006 - Marty Bergen


Chapter 15: When Not to Trump Your Losers .................. 161


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