Recommended play?

[kiwi_2o1]

This hand is from the intermediate level in Bridge Master. South is in 6S with the JH lead. No indication if its MP or IMP scoring. Nil vul. No bidding from EW. East overtakes with AH and leads KD.

North:
S  432
H  43
D  5432
C  654

South:
S  AKQJT
H  KQ
D  A
C  AKQ32

What is your plan?
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I go down because I don't see anything better than drawing trumps and hoping for an even break in clubs.

The recommended line is to play 2 rounds of clubs before drawing the last trump. At first I thought, why risk a club ruff by not drawing trumps? What a nice play when I rethink about it.

Now I have to think why my brain didn't allow me to consider the play. The contract is always safe if both follow to two clubs. If one opponent is out on second club, then the only hope is that they don't have the outstanding trump. I was aware of a possible uneven club break but my thinking put the trump in the shorter hand when it need not be, and could not be if the hand is to be made. Nice.

What was your plan?

[OliverC]

The key thing here, Ash, is that if you are banking on an even split in Clubs, there is no psychological problem in cashing 2 rounds of Clubs before taking the last round of trumps. As you pointed out, if the Clubs are indeed 3-2, you can then draw the last trump and claim, but you do give yourself that additional chance. If the Clubs are 4-1, then your only chance to make is when the hand with 4 Clubs has the last trump.


If someone trumps the second Club, then you were always going to be -1 in this contract (along with everyone else), so just shrug your shoulders, take your par score, and move onto the next hand.

[kiwi_2o1]

I agree. To me it was a problem about thinking about thinking.

[lute57]

Very nice learning example, Ash.

I hate to admit but I would have probably followed you, too. That's why I am intermediate player -- my Declarer play sucks. I do way too many things on auto-pilot -- like drawing trumps in your example. As you pointed out, there is no risk in drawing two rounds of  before finishing up on trumps because if they don't split 2-2, you will always be going down one if you make the mistake of drawing out all your trump first. Now, if I can only imprint this lesson in my Declarer brain I might move up a notch. Oliver's recent posting of other "lesson hands" has been great, too.

Keep them coming.