Nice lead by West, although he’d have picked the SQ if he could have seen South’s hand. That doesn’t help though unless declarer takes the SA on the first round and plays the S9 when another spade comes through. Otherwise the defence can’t unravel their possible spade winners unless W has both DA & DK. When I try something “clever” like that, though, declarer has SK alone and J98xx hits the deck – or it just seems that way far too often. Not on a par with Jum2’s trials and tribulations though, I must admit.
Regards,
Iain
bobbywolffFebruary 19th, 2024 at 4:59 pm
Hi Iain,
Yes, I have always thought, since very early in my bridge career, that card combinations were probably the most underrated area in which to be knowledgeable. Having thought that has not only not changed, but rather, grown, together with the wide variance it seems to make in both the play and, of course, particularly while defending pertaining to, of course, all suits, trumps and no trumps, and as a finishing touch, probably more often than suspected,
both for declarer and defense, greater than players might realize, the ability to create ruses
to which both the declarer and both defenders (separately or together) may fall victim.
Just another feature and justification to call our beloved game, the greatest mind competition ever conceived with so many intangible tangles its calling card.
Especially so, if considering only that elementary school arithmetic may be the and probably is, the single largest asset needed, to produce consistent winning episodes.
bobbywolffFebruary 21st, 2024 at 7:13 pm
Hi Everyone,
I try and live up to today’s “rocking” quote by Benjamin Franklin, but Judy always finds me managing the wrong half.
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Hi Bobby,
Nice lead by West, although he’d have picked the SQ if he could have seen South’s hand. That doesn’t help though unless declarer takes the SA on the first round and plays the S9 when another spade comes through. Otherwise the defence can’t unravel their possible spade winners unless W has both DA & DK. When I try something “clever” like that, though, declarer has SK alone and J98xx hits the deck – or it just seems that way far too often. Not on a par with Jum2’s trials and tribulations though, I must admit.
Regards,
Iain
Hi Iain,
Yes, I have always thought, since very early in my bridge career, that card combinations were probably the most underrated area in which to be knowledgeable. Having thought that has not only not changed, but rather, grown, together with the wide variance it seems to make in both the play and, of course, particularly while defending pertaining to, of course, all suits, trumps and no trumps, and as a finishing touch, probably more often than suspected,
both for declarer and defense, greater than players might realize, the ability to create ruses
to which both the declarer and both defenders (separately or together) may fall victim.
Just another feature and justification to call our beloved game, the greatest mind competition ever conceived with so many intangible tangles its calling card.
Especially so, if considering only that elementary school arithmetic may be the and probably is, the single largest asset needed, to produce consistent winning episodes.
Hi Everyone,
I try and live up to today’s “rocking” quote by Benjamin Franklin, but Judy always finds me managing the wrong half.