Hints and tips:
...If — as here — East holds the master trump, declarer can score J♣ “en passant”, ruffing when East fails to ruff, or discarding his spade loser when, as he did, East ruffs in....
...BiddingDealer: NorthLove All West led J♣ instantly; South indentified five losers: two diamonds, two low hearts and A♠....
...He pulls the final trump, crosses to J♦, and ruffs a third spade with his last trump....
...West led 7♣, taken with dummy’s J♣. Perhaps South can overcome a 4-1 trump break if there is a singleton honour, but these thin contacts usually require some decent divisions....
...Since A♥ is his only entry — and he may require a ruff — declarer sets about his plan before drawing trumps. He leads A♦ and 3♦....
...Having drawn trumps, cash ♦AK and exit with J♦. East will win and, unless he leads a club, he will proffer a ruff in dummy and a discard of 5♣ from hand....
...South put in J♠ and, when West won with A♠, declarer had successfully negotiated all the obstacles. Paul Mendelson’s new book, ‘The Joy of Bridge’, is out now...
...Now, declarer’s carefully preserved 3♠ comes to the fore: overtaken in dummy with 4♠, and J♦ cashed, on which South can pitch a low heart. Still in dummy, a heart can be led towards K♥....
...Michael J (Mike) Bond Mercer Island, WA, US...
...If West could win, and he plays a heart, it provides a ruff and discard; if he leads a diamond, K♦ is the 10th trick; a club sorts out the suit for only two losers. At the table, East wins....
...Dummy trumps are high, bar A♠, so any potential over-ruff need not be feared....
...Let’s say that East rises with 10♦, J♦ is played and West wins with K♦. If he leads another diamond, it runs to declarer’s ♦A9; if he opts instead for a spade, this runs to South ♠KJ....
...The beauty of South’s play was this: even if West wins the third club trick with J♣, declarer was safe. What could West lead?...
...edward.luce@ft.com Letters in response to this article: Could tipping just tip it for these California voters?...
...At trick two, South ducks East’s Q♣; West does not ruff. East continues with J♣; South plays K♣ perforce, West will ruff and switch to a spade....
...Q♠ and a spade ruff in hand followed, eliminating the suit. Now, South led his final diamond....
...The best line is to win West’s J♦ lead and play a small trump from both hands. You win whatever is led next and play A♠, cash ♥AK, and ruff a heart in hand....
...With everything else done, South leads 10♥ from hand and, when West follows low, declarer runs it, losing to East’s J♥. Now, East is endplayed: she leads a heart back or provides a ruff and discard....
...The deduction makes sense: if East leads a heart, West will surely be unable to ruff high ahead of dummy’s J♠ and this will indicate that East holds Q♠....
...South now ruffs a diamond in dummy and leads a fourth spade. East should ruff in, declarer over-ruffs with J♥, and West is stymied....
...Michael J Bond Mercer Island, WA, US...
...East hops up with A♦ and leads J♦. Declarer should play low, preserving his winner; he is blissfully unconcerned whether West ruffs with Q♥ or not....
...She played a club to dummy’s ace, cashed J♠, discarding 5♦ from hand, and then played back to her K♣. With the black suits eliminated, she now led a third round of trumps; East won....
...Harold J Smith White Plains, NY, US...
...edward.luce@ft.com Letter in response to this comment: Anecdotal evidence points to Trump feelgood factor / From Michael J Bond, Mercer Island, WA, US...
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