Just like bargain basement sales, end plays in bridge are heating up, forcing inexperienced players to carefully watch spot cards, both for the end game and for the contract trick, by looking ahead to carefully unblock when necessary, a common mistake by rookies. Methinks that learning process is particularly effective for all hopeful players with the intention of adapting early thought, to prompt late success.
Jeff SerandosFebruary 29th, 2024 at 3:50 pm
Hi Bobby,
Ducking the second diamond is interesting. I was playing around with responses from West other than leading back a third diamond. A club lead is no good. A heart may not look safe, but does not seem to give anything away thanks to the TH in partner’s hand. And leading the KS is interesting as partner appears to have at least four spades and the KS is doomed anyway so it does not seem to help South at all to lead it.
I spent a lot of time looking at the various lines and concluded that is still very tricky, but it looks like South can still find his way home in either of those lines as long as he is very careful. And luckily for anyone who has read this far, I don’t have time right now to bore you with all the lines I was looking at. 🙂
Cheers,
Jeff
Iain ClimieFebruary 29th, 2024 at 5:39 pm
Hi Bobby,
Good point on the spade unblock and the need to develop a feel for card combinations e.g. J9x opposite AQ10x with no further entries to the short hand has to start with the 9 then the J (unless that x is the 8 of course when the 10 can be unblocked) to pick up Kxxx onside. Looking at such combinations is similar to an aspiring pianist practising scales – dull but essential.
Regards,
Iain
bobbywolffFebruary 29th, 2024 at 7:37 pm
Hi Iain,
Good example, concentrating on explaining the various arithmetical magic, common to
both declarer’s play and even on occasion to the relatively blind sighted defenders, just in case those cards have been dealt that certain way.
Does it help the fledgling player at bridge to be, at the very least, competent with simple numbers, becomes the same answer as, do birds fly? And with the same amount of necessity.
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Hi Everyone,
Just like bargain basement sales, end plays in bridge are heating up, forcing inexperienced players to carefully watch spot cards, both for the end game and for the contract trick, by looking ahead to carefully unblock when necessary, a common mistake by rookies. Methinks that learning process is particularly effective for all hopeful players with the intention of adapting early thought, to prompt late success.
Hi Bobby,
Ducking the second diamond is interesting. I was playing around with responses from West other than leading back a third diamond. A club lead is no good. A heart may not look safe, but does not seem to give anything away thanks to the TH in partner’s hand. And leading the KS is interesting as partner appears to have at least four spades and the KS is doomed anyway so it does not seem to help South at all to lead it.
I spent a lot of time looking at the various lines and concluded that is still very tricky, but it looks like South can still find his way home in either of those lines as long as he is very careful. And luckily for anyone who has read this far, I don’t have time right now to bore you with all the lines I was looking at. 🙂
Cheers,
Jeff
Hi Bobby,
Good point on the spade unblock and the need to develop a feel for card combinations e.g. J9x opposite AQ10x with no further entries to the short hand has to start with the 9 then the J (unless that x is the 8 of course when the 10 can be unblocked) to pick up Kxxx onside. Looking at such combinations is similar to an aspiring pianist practising scales – dull but essential.
Regards,
Iain
Hi Iain,
Good example, concentrating on explaining the various arithmetical magic, common to
both declarer’s play and even on occasion to the relatively blind sighted defenders, just in case those cards have been dealt that certain way.
Does it help the fledgling player at bridge to be, at the very least, competent with simple numbers, becomes the same answer as, do birds fly? And with the same amount of necessity.