Linda Lee — My personal bridge blog

I am Impressed. Congratulations to Krista

On Sunday Katie, Krista, Cora and I had our usual game.  The highlight for me was Board 8.

Dealer West Katie

A9

A3

1098

K87542

Krista opened 1 and Katie bid 2 (limit raise or better).  Krista bid 3 game forcing good hand, heart values.  Katie cuebid her spade ace and Krista showed a diamond control.

West North East South
Pass 1 pass 2
pass 3 pass 3
pass 4 pass ?

Now what?  Krista’s bid suggested she was very interested in slam and while Katie doesn’t have all that many highcards she does have six card support, aces and two ruffing values.  She bid Blackwood and when Krista showed two aces and the trump queen Katie bid the small slam.  It was now up to Krista to make it.

Dealer:

Vul:

Krista

J6

KQ42

AQ7

AQJ3

Katie

A9

A3

1098

K87542

Krista got a spade lead and won the ace.  This hand is right out of a text book and Krista played it perfectly to set up the endplay.  She drew trump in two rounds and then played hearts discarding a spade from dummy.  She ruffed a heart in dummy, crossed back to her hand with a trump to ruff a spade.  Now all she had left was the diamonds and trump.  She led the 10.  The defense was helpless.  If it lost to the jack then East would be forced to return a diamond into her AQ.  This was a 100% hand once trump didn’t break horribly.  It is a great feeling and it was the first endplay that Krista had both planned and executed.

Dealer:

Vul:

North

J6

KQ42

AQ7

AQJ3

West

Q1072

J1096

J43

96

East

♠ K8543

875

K652

10

South

A9

A3

1098

K87542

I think after you play bridge for a few years you can forget the joy of making a beautiful play.  Sometimes we (especially me) focus on mistakes.  Everybody makes lots of them.  Sometimes we focus on winning.  But in the end the joy of bidding and making a slam on your first endplay is what makes bridge wonderful.


3 Comments

PatrickMarch 14th, 2011 at 2:18 pm

How can she ruff a heart and a spade on two consecutive tricks? I think you mean: “ruffed a heart, crossed to hand in trumps, ruffed a spade, then led the ten of diamonds.” Right?

Even if trumps are 3-0 she can play two trumps, two hearts, ruff heart high, back to North hand with trump, top heart pitching spade, spade ruff, ten of diamonds, which wins against 5-2 hearts or better. Kind of instructive.

Linda LeeMarch 14th, 2011 at 4:05 pm

It was poorly described. Thanks for your comment. I improved the explanation. She is ruffing hearts AND spades in dummy and then finessing diamonds.

JanApril 21st, 2011 at 1:06 pm

I don’t understand “She led the ♦10. The defense was helpless. If it lost to the jack then East would be forced to return a diamond into her AQ. ” If she lost to the jack, then West would be on lead???

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