A Hand I liked in a Duplicate - a Lockdown TD article
May 27, 2020Wandering around the tables of the Firstclass Bridge Academy MidEssex duplicate, I came across this rare jewel.
Suppose you reach 7♥ after North opened 3♦ first in hand, and receive the lead of the ♥J: how do you think you can come to thirteen tricks?
You have twelve top tricks, and there are obviously no problems if spades split 4-3, or if the ♠Q falls in two rounds - you have plenty of entries to set them up and then enjoy your thirteenth winner. However, life is never that easy, especially at the bridge table. But a ray of light should hit you: North opened 3♦, so his diamond guard can be easily isolated, and if spades do not behave, South is certainly the player who will the length. In which case, the scene is already set for a double squeeze with clubs as the suit taking centrestage.
You have twelve top tricks, and there are obviously no problems if spades split 4-3, or if the ♠Q falls in two rounds - you have plenty of entries to set them up and then enjoy your thirteenth winner. However, life is never that easy, especially at the bridge table. But a ray of light should hit you: North opened 3♦, so his diamond guard can be easily isolated, and if spades do not behave, South is certainly the player who will the length. In which case, the scene is already set for a double squeeze with clubs as the suit taking centrestage.
Let's proceed in order cash three round of trumps pitching a club from dummy (if you dreamed for a moment about pitching a diamond, playing Canasta for the rest of your life is your punishment!). Cash ♠AK (pitching a diamond: a club will also condemn you to bridge hell) and ruff a spade. As predicted North shows out, but it's not at all bad news: play ♦A and ruff a diamond leaving North as the only guardian of diamonds. Here is the full deal - you can play it by clicking next below::
Those two trumps will bring the following ending:
When you table your last heart North is forced to pitch a club to keep the diamond guard, but you throw dummy's diamond and South is inexorably squeezed in the black suits.
Reaching tough spots ups the anti to hone your declarer play technique – but remember at matchpoints you often don’t need to be in the top spot to score most (or all of the matchpoints!).
Stay bridging safe.
North could have saved the day leading a top club, so destroying the double squeeze's communications (however, leading a small club doesn't work: North will be the only guardian of the suit and will be suffering a simple squeeze in the minor suits). Which allows me to repeat a tip that I always offer in such cases: when there's an impending double squeeze, attack the centre suit (double menace).
Reaching tough spots ups the anti to hone your declarer play technique – but remember at matchpoints you often don’t need to be in the top spot to score most (or all of the matchpoints!).
Stay bridging safe.
Posted by Maurizio Di Sacco. Posted In : Lockdown Directing on BBO
