Source: Reading Eagle – 3 Dic 1955 by Howard Schenken and Richard L. Frey
Here’s a quiz on play, taken from a fascinating English book, “[ilink url=”http://ebooksbridge.com/www/ebb/index.php?main_page=ebb_product_book_info&products_id=520″]Card Play Technique, or The Art of Being Lucky[/ilink] .”
It is by Nico Gardener, an English internationalist, and Victor Mollo, who contributes his rubber bridge expertness and”, delightful style on presentation. The book contains more than 380 pages crammed with interesting examples to illustrate good playing advice for both declarer and defender.
In each of the following examples, do you cover the lead, or play low?
1.
 Q J 9 8 (Dummy) |
|
| K 10 (You) |
|
Declarer play the Q from Dummy.
2.
| Q J 4 2 (Dummy) |
|
| K 5 (You) |
|
Declarer play the Q from Dummy.
3.
| A 6 5 3 (North) |
|
| Q 9 2 (You) |
|
Declarer play the J from South.
4.
| A J 6 (North) |
|
| K 10 8 2 (You) |
|
Declarer play the Q from South.
5.
| J 10 2 (Dummy) |
|
| Q 9 4 (You) |
|
Declarer play the J from Dummy.
6.
| J 10 8 (Dummy) |
|
| Q 9 (You) |
|
Declarer play the J from Dummy.
Answers:
(1) Yes. Declarer may finesse for the ten on the next round.
(2) Yes. To cover may promote a trick for partner. If you duck the first time, you will very likely have to play the King on a small lead next.
(3) No. You will not gain by covering unless South has made a most unusual kind of play (from K J x x). It is far more likely that he is fishing with five or six cards to the King-Jack-ten and doesn’t intend to finesse. He may even have made a losing play from five to the Jack-ten-eight.
(4) Yes. If you duck, South can make three tricks in the suit by repeating the finesse. Cover, and you limit him to two tricks.
(5) No. You can hardly gain by covering the first time (partner may have a lone King) and can do just as well by covering if the ten is led next time.
(6) Yes. Among other possibilities of gaining by covering is the chance that declarer has the King and partner the Ace. In this situation, declarer may lose two tricks in the suit by playing up to dummy on the second lead and finessing to your nine-spot.