0025 - End Play

Playing weak notrumps (12-14 hcp) or strong notrumps (15-17 hcp) to show an 18-19 hcp balanced hand opener first bids 1m and on rebid jumps to 2NT.

This deal was player on November 2019 in the Hilton Head Camellia Classic. This analysis is by Jamie Traudt. (see Pages: Authors)

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Playing weak no trumps in a Swiss Teams event, South picked up the following hand and opened 1♣ planning to jump to 2 NT.

Auction: After a pass from West and 1 ♦ from partner, the World Champion in the East seat overcalled 1NT. Double by South. West passed quickly and partner bid 2♦. After a pass from East, South bid a vulnerable 3NT and the attractive woman in the West seat offered a withering look that asked “What drug are you on?” After two passes, a low spade hit the table and declarer saw this lovely dummy.

“Is that the same hand you held during the auction?” he wanted to ask, but didn’t, knowing that his partner might rightly ask whether he didn’t see the 1NT bid on his right, or just chose to ignore it. Enough recriminations.

Play: After counting six pitiful tricks, a low spade from dummy (North) drew the ♠Q from East and declarer’s (South) ♠K. Without many prospects, declarer tried another king, the ♦K this time, and was a bit disappointed that it actually won the second trick. A second diamond drew the ♦J and the ♦Q lost to the ♦A. The diamonds in dummy were all good if there was an entry.

The World Champion went into a trance. He was reputed to never make a mistake, and was clearly in the pressure cooker. So, when he finally produced a low heart, it was obvious to everyone that he held the ♣K. So much for an entry. The dummy was dead … at least for the moment.

The ♥Q of hearts won trick four, and after cashing the ♠A, the ♥J put East right back on lead with the ♥K. After scoring the ♥ A and ♥ 10, he was forced to exit with a club, six tricks morphed into nine, and declarer scored up his unlikely game.

here is the complete deal ...

East had attempted to preserve his small spade as an exit card. Unfortunately for East, declarer removed it before throwing him back in at trick six.

And unfortunately for South, the end game and the result was just a fantasy. He actually neglected to cash the ♠ A and failed to make 3 NT.

But there were more than a few useful lessons provided by this one deal.

1. When your partner pulls your penalty double, beware. He may not have his bid.
2. When your opponent speaks, you should listen to their bidding. Sometimes your hand is not as good as it appears.
3. Your opponents’ body language speaks volumes.
4. Before you abandon the idea of establishing a trick in dummy that you can’t reach, keep in mind that it may force your opponents to open up other suits if they gain the lead, possibly to their own disadvantage.
5. If you see an end play coming, preserve an exit card.
6. When you’re playing to make the contract at all costs, don’t be concerned with an apparently risky play – in this instance cashing the Ace of spades. You must play for the distribution to work in your favor, whatever the ultimate cost. An extra undertrick or two are unlikely to cost the match, but going down well may.

Finally, an observation. East gave declarer a chance to make his contract, as defenders often do, by leading the small heart from his hand at trick four. Had he played ♥A, ♥K and his small heart or instead, exited with his spade and played hearts that way later, declarer could never reach the dummy. It’s a tough game, even for a World Champion.

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