Dear Mr Wolff

I dont know if I’m missing something in analysis but according to me to make 7 cross ruff tricks declarer should ruff second spade from dummy and then cash third club and now begin cross ruff. The column says defenders win second spade and play third club but now declarer can make the contract by ruffing third spade low hence setting up dummy’s
spade suit and now removing trumps ending in dummy but not by cross ruff.

best regards

Shantanu Rastogi

Hi Shantanu,

You are right and there is an incorrect description since when declarer led a spade from dummy, the opening lead had already swallowed his losing spade, so that the cross ruff began, (with declarer also cashing his 3rd club trick along the way) therefore enabling the winning cross ruff line.

Sloppy reporting is unacceptable and again I apologize for such distractions which are happening far too often. Thanks for recognizing the gaffe, proving you are very thorough, in following the described play.

True when the AK of spades falls out, the 4 heart contract can be made another way, allowing David to defeat Goliath, but at that point the cross ruff line looked best, just in case the trumps didn’t break.

Suppose South does not take a wrong view at 3N and simply cashes eight round suit tricks. Declarer can pitch pointed suit cards w/o a care, but what would the defenders pitch? I suspect should declarer play a diamond from the Board at trick 9, that the contract would usually make.

Hi Jim2,

Unless the defense puts declarer to a difficult guess in spades, I certainly agree with you that 3NT would likely make. Getting there is another story.

—– 1S
2D – 3C
?

Maybe South decides that — with a singleton in pard’s first and only three in the second among a point count consisting mostly of queens and jacks — perhaps 3N is a better choice than reversing into a four-card suit.

Hi Jim2,

Just chalk it up to an Albanian auction. In a World Team Olympiad there are always a few countries who are only there for the honor of rubbing shoulders with the well known bridge countries and their superior players.

It is much more a social occasion for them, rather than even a small hope of doing well, but unfortunately at this point in time it is where we are. With bridge coming (and flourishing) in European schools my guess (and hope) is that perhaps in 20 years the idea of teaching bridge in schools will gain momentum and even small out of the way countries will add bridge to its curriculum.

I will not be around to enjoy it (at least up close) but it will be a happy day somewhere for all bridge lovers who know what our game has to offer young minds and how it can teach youngsters to think logically with numeracy playing a large factor.

Till then we are left with Albania and too many others who look forward to our big events, but only are there for the early preliminaries.