Isolated Trouble and “deep nining’s” Success by Dick Cummings

The Sydney Morning Herald – Jun 6, 1989

The trouble with bridge is there’s so much to the game. You make the big effort to study and master the basic techniques then spend the rest of your playing life trying to judge when to depart from them. Oh well. Some good comes of it. We keep the psychiatrists in business:

Dealer East; E/W vulnerable.DK 1

Opening Lead: heart9

Dayou Zhou with legend Marshall Miles
Dayou Zhou with legend Marshall Miles

The American writer Marshall Miles has discussed some interesting material on the theme that the best way to play a suit in isolation may not be the best way to play a specific hand. Information collectable en route can alter the odds dramatically.

Consider A754 in dummy opposite KJ93 in the closed hand. Being a desperate case, you need four tricks from this suit. The odds are to cash the ace and pull a small one towards the KJ9. If the queen has not shown up, finesse the jack such a suit appears in the diagrammed deal. Proper analysis of the early tricks points to the merit of cashing the ace than finessing the 9 on the second round. “Deep nining” (an expression coined by Edgar Kaplan) is right on this particular occasion for reasons which will become apparent.

Edgar Kaplan
Edgar Kaplan

East wins the first two tricks with the heartA and the heartK, in that order. For a good defender, that shows a doubleton. Your fervent hopes are realized. East switches to the club2, confirming he is out of hearts (which means West started with seven of them).

By the way, at trick two, West followed suit with the heart2 a suit preference signal asking for the return of the lowest ranking suit, clubs, East has duly obliged. Everything points to West having a club entry, so you need nine tricks in a hurry. Spades just have to be 3-3. You plan your play on that basis. West is known to have seven hearts, needed to have three spades and suspected to have more than one club.

Therefore you play him for a singleton diamond. For entry reasons, you have to make an early commitment. The correct play is: up with clubA; a diamond to the diamondA; a diamond to the diamond9: four rounds of spades; a diamond to the diamondJ; cash diamondK; thank you very much.

MAS DEL MISMO AUTOR

Good Habits Save Efforts by Alfred Sheinwold

Good habits will save you time and effort, but do not stop to think, relying on your habits.

A renewed Zaleski for the 2015 NABCs by Fernando Lema

Yesterday the International Master Mustafa Cem Tokay confirmed CsbNews.org that...Photo: Tokay-Sementa

Allow your opponents to make mistakes by Karen Walker

The idea is that an aggressive, potentially dangerous bid can be a good gamble if it gets you to your best contract or pushes the opponents into a bad one.

2014 Grande Prémio Portugal

Portuguese Gran Prix 2014; Hotel Cidadela, Cascais; 22-24 April - Swiss Teams; 25-27 April - Pairs Tournament

Bridge & Humor: Prodigal Son has Last Laugh

One of the most important elements of any successful partnership is bidding discipline.

Franck Riehm elected as WBF President

The World Bridge Federation is pleased to announce the...

1st South American Online Mixed Teams Championship

All players belonging to any NBO affiliated to the WBF are welcome!

I Brazilian Online Bridge Festival 2020

Some of the best players in the world are Brazilians, and some of the most enthusiastic players too! Our Brazilian Online Festival has appeal to players of all levels. Your team will play in a friendly but competitive atmosphere, with very well-organized scoring and experienced Directors to ensure a pleasant experience for all.

WBF Robot Tournaments

Come and join the competition through our Providers, BBO, Funbridge and Ourgame, all offering you this great opportunity – we look forward to some challenging tournaments!”

The Endplay

An endplay (also throw-in), in bridge, is a tactical play where a defender is put on lead at a strategic moment, and then has to make a play that loses one or more tricks.

The Scissors Coup by John Brown

Scissors coup (or, Scissor coup, ) is a type of coup in bridge, so named because it cuts communications between defenders.

World Bridge Federation – Youth

The Championship is open to all players born on or after 1st January 1992 (Juniors & Girls) or born on or after 1st January 1997 (Youngsters) or born on or after 1st January 2002 (Kids) in good standing with their own NBOs.

Prevent a Ruff by Jon Brown

West led his singleton club, which dummy's king won. South read the lead as a singleton.

RELACIONADOS

CATEGORIAS POPULARES