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Zar Points: 5) The Footprints

To read the first parts of this series of articles:  Click Here

 5) The Footprints

In Zar Points we don’t deal with misfits – we deal with “footprints” and controls. The “footprint” of a suit is the shorter side of the suit in both hands:

K x x x x      x x has a footprint of 2
A x x x         x has a footprint of 1
A x x x x     x x has a footprint of 3

You see now how easy it becomes to evaluate the immediate losers using footprints (FP) and controls (CT):

If FP < CT, you have 0 immediate losers.  

If FP = CT, you have min( 1, FP) losers (1 in most cases; 0 with void against xx(xxx) ).

If FP > CT, you have min( 2, FP) losers (2 in most cases; 1 with x against xx(xxx) ).

I already hear you screaming “That’s too complex, man … That’s for a computer…” I am not going to get deeper in the manipulation of the footprints and controls, immediate losers, and their cooperation with the suits where your fit(s) are – it goes beyond the scope of the article, but you get the picture, I hope. Here is a simple example which illustrates the point.

The same fits “13 – 7 – 6 – 0”, with same 10 HCP but with different footprints:

1)

A Q x x x x

x x x x x x x 
—–
—–

 K J x x x x x

—–
x x x x x x 
—–

 

 

 

This board has 0 losers in any of the 4 suits. The contract – 7 spades (the defenders wouldn’t find the killing trump lead :-).

The footprints of all the 3 non-trump suits are 0. Now, the second example:

2)

A Q x x x x         K J x x x x x
x x x x                 x x x 
x x x                    x x x 
—–                      —–

This board has 3 losers in both and suits, since the footprints are 3 and controls are 0. The contract 1 spade. Significant difference by any standard 🙂 .

This article finalizes the Zar Points Series

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