Trick Stretcher Works By O. Jacoby

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The Tuscaloosa News – 5 Abr 1967

The play of many no-trump contracts takes the form of a race.

Opening lead: Q

The defense races to set up its low card tricks, declarer races to collect enough tricks for his contract before the defense can take over. Some players would act with the North hand after the spade opening. In general the best policy is to pass.

North has 13 high card points but needs a lot of help from his partner if he is going anywhere except down. East passes and after South reopens with one no-trump North raises his partner to game. West opens the queen of spades and South looks over dummy. He sees at least nine potential tricks but he has to knock out two aces to get them and West has started the race for low card tricks with his queen of spades lead.

South sees that West is going to win the race and collect three spades and two aces. South can count to eight tricks if he attacks hearts. He can count to nine tricks if he attacks diamonds and it turns out that West holds ace and one diamond. He leads to dummy’s king. returns a diamond and plays low from his own hand. This play won’t work this time because holds ace-jack-ten.

South still has a way to win the race. Do you see it? It Is a play in two suits. He wins the spade in his own hand and leads a diamond toward dummy. If West goes up, South will make four diamond tricks but West plays the ten or the jack. South wins in dummy and abandons the diamond suit in favor of the hearts. He has one diamond and one spade in and will now make three hearts, another spade and three clubs for the nine tricks he needs to win the race.