Hi Dear Mr Wolff
Perhaps , after winning the spade Trick in dummy ( trick two) south should finesse in diamond immediately as East’s return of a spade indicates that West holds spade Q so its odds on that east holds diamond Q based on bidding and in case finesse loses, south plays for drop of spade Q from West and cross ruff with heart K entry intact in dummy
Regards
bobbywolffMarch 11th, 2020 at 3:05 pm
Hi AVRR,
While what you say about the location of the diamond queen is possible, it is by no means certain, since East is trying to cut down (as much as possible) on a cross ruff and hopes his partner has diamond strength, but lesser heart strength to compensate, That might leave West with the diamond queen, even if it is singleton.
Finally a 3rd seat WTB (such as this hand) at favorable vulnerability is quite unpredictable
causing declarer to at least postpone his diamond finesse until he determined what he thought was the actual spade holding.
However, declarer basically decided to go with your line of play (at least close), but not necessarily based on the high cards out, but rather the distribution determined with West having 3 spades. While holding: s. Q109, h. AQxxx, d. Qxx, c. 9x looks quite like a NV third seat NV WTB to me, therein not having anywhere near complete confidence with any diamond finesse, even less a first rounder.
jim2March 11th, 2020 at 5:09 pm
If I deduced the QS was with West, as advised in the column text, then I would finesse the diamond (just as AV R R suggested). West could easily have opened One Heart with a good heart suit and two outside queens. If West were to stretch outside the usual weak-two constraints in third seat, I would think it would be with a 5-card suit and less than opening points.
Heck, I might even consider the discovery play of the JS on the trump return simply to help judge the diamond finesse!
Iain ClimieMarch 11th, 2020 at 11:58 pm
Hi Jim2,
What if the discovery play found West with SQ alone after East has returned a cunning S7 or 5? You know what could do this to you, no matter how sensible the play looks!
Regards,
Iain
jim2March 12th, 2020 at 12:04 am
I said “consider.” I might detach the JS from my hand and try to use The Force to detect TOCM ™.
Just because that has yet to work, does not mean it isn’t worth a try …
bobbywolffMarch 13th, 2020 at 12:09 am
Hi Iain & Jim2,
Of all the possible small lies perpetrated within the above average player’s perspective IMO perhaps it is close to a tie between slight variations on both weak and strong opening NT ranges (almost always on the lower end size) as well as what can be identified as 3rd seat weak two bids (especially the major suits) with plenty of decent 5 card suits (KQ10xx, a typical variance)
Advantages of course and usually, but not always, NV, are a clear number 1 of taking bidding space away from those worthy opponents, but also lead directing for one’s OX,
allowing partner, with trump holding a prime concern, able to raise to the three level or even to four with length. and then both subsiding immediately so as not to often or hopefully even occasionally, take real chances of going down doubled more than opponents can make with, of course, including their game bonus.
No rocket science involved, and, of course sometimes risky, but better to make the opponents guess what to do than to allow them a free reign.
Even though one’s partnership may rank considerably above average (in that field) once only an average pair has free reign to choose their final contract, the defenders will do well to glean as high as 40% on those boards. Add that to no help with partner signalling what to lead and that guessed 40% goes even lower.
Obviously I am guessing these percentages, but call it “hands on” fighting rather than “hands off” and, at the very least, your side will be doing everything reasonably possible to fight for a decent score, rather than to give up and only hope to be lucky.
And to Jim2, for even considering a defender is leading a trump from Qxx into a dummy sporting the AKxx or even AKx, while constructing such hands is possible, one shouldn’t hold his breath till it shows up.
Perhaps even the gods of chance have conceived the disease of TOCM TM to punish attempted brilliant players for challenging common bridge sense, but I apologize for making such a statement, which could be condemned under the heading, of “Never ever making a generalization, including this one”.
Subscribe to our feed
Bridge-related
Hi Dear Mr Wolff
Perhaps , after winning the spade Trick in dummy ( trick two) south should finesse in diamond immediately as East’s return of a spade indicates that West holds spade Q so its odds on that east holds diamond Q based on bidding and in case finesse loses, south plays for drop of spade Q from West and cross ruff with heart K entry intact in dummy
Regards
Hi AVRR,
While what you say about the location of the diamond queen is possible, it is by no means certain, since East is trying to cut down (as much as possible) on a cross ruff and hopes his partner has diamond strength, but lesser heart strength to compensate, That might leave West with the diamond queen, even if it is singleton.
Finally a 3rd seat WTB (such as this hand) at favorable vulnerability is quite unpredictable
causing declarer to at least postpone his diamond finesse until he determined what he thought was the actual spade holding.
However, declarer basically decided to go with your line of play (at least close), but not necessarily based on the high cards out, but rather the distribution determined with West having 3 spades. While holding: s. Q109, h. AQxxx, d. Qxx, c. 9x looks quite like a NV third seat NV WTB to me, therein not having anywhere near complete confidence with any diamond finesse, even less a first rounder.
If I deduced the QS was with West, as advised in the column text, then I would finesse the diamond (just as AV R R suggested). West could easily have opened One Heart with a good heart suit and two outside queens. If West were to stretch outside the usual weak-two constraints in third seat, I would think it would be with a 5-card suit and less than opening points.
Heck, I might even consider the discovery play of the JS on the trump return simply to help judge the diamond finesse!
Hi Jim2,
What if the discovery play found West with SQ alone after East has returned a cunning S7 or 5? You know what could do this to you, no matter how sensible the play looks!
Regards,
Iain
I said “consider.” I might detach the JS from my hand and try to use The Force to detect TOCM ™.
Just because that has yet to work, does not mean it isn’t worth a try …
Hi Iain & Jim2,
Of all the possible small lies perpetrated within the above average player’s perspective IMO perhaps it is close to a tie between slight variations on both weak and strong opening NT ranges (almost always on the lower end size) as well as what can be identified as 3rd seat weak two bids (especially the major suits) with plenty of decent 5 card suits (KQ10xx, a typical variance)
Advantages of course and usually, but not always, NV, are a clear number 1 of taking bidding space away from those worthy opponents, but also lead directing for one’s OX,
allowing partner, with trump holding a prime concern, able to raise to the three level or even to four with length. and then both subsiding immediately so as not to often or hopefully even occasionally, take real chances of going down doubled more than opponents can make with, of course, including their game bonus.
No rocket science involved, and, of course sometimes risky, but better to make the opponents guess what to do than to allow them a free reign.
Even though one’s partnership may rank considerably above average (in that field) once only an average pair has free reign to choose their final contract, the defenders will do well to glean as high as 40% on those boards. Add that to no help with partner signalling what to lead and that guessed 40% goes even lower.
Obviously I am guessing these percentages, but call it “hands on” fighting rather than “hands off” and, at the very least, your side will be doing everything reasonably possible to fight for a decent score, rather than to give up and only hope to be lucky.
And to Jim2, for even considering a defender is leading a trump from Qxx into a dummy sporting the AKxx or even AKx, while constructing such hands is possible, one shouldn’t hold his breath till it shows up.
Perhaps even the gods of chance have conceived the disease of TOCM TM to punish attempted brilliant players for challenging common bridge sense, but I apologize for making such a statement, which could be condemned under the heading, of “Never ever making a generalization, including this one”.