presents Professor IMP's Weekly Master
Class #22 To
Prof. IMP Index
- |
'Misdefence' |
Once in a while Professor IMP drops in at OKBridge, with
20,000 members probably the world's largest internet bridge club. Kibitzing
in spectator mode last week, he was rather disappointed to see one of his
students misdefend a game contract. This was the layout:
--
-
| W/neither |
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
|
|
|
student |
|
1 |
Pass |
2 |
3 |
|
4 |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
When his partner led the 7
the student took the first trick with the K
and saw declarer follow with the three. This meant that North had either
a singleton club or three clubs.
After a slight pause the student continued with the A,
hoping it would cash and that partner would get to ruff the third round
of the suit. But instead, it was declarer who ruffed. He next cashed the A
and led another spade for North's king. North played a third club which
was ruffed by declarer who now had an easy route to ten tricks:
-
-
| W/neither |
K 3
 10 7 5 4 2
 Q 9 5
Q 8 7 |
|
A Q J 9 8 6
K 3
A 7 6 3
3 |
|
10
7 5
A Q J 6
J 8 4
6 4 2 |
| e |
4 2
9 8
K 10 2
A K J 10 9 5 |
|
|
- |
-
"How could I have known that I had to switch to diamonds at trick two?,"
the student asked afterwards.
"It's not a matter of could, but of should," Professor IMP retorted
sharply. "North really must have something useful in diamonds to beat he
contract, so why not shift to diamonds right away? It's not very likely
that your partner had a singleton club and king doubleton of trumps. But
even with that holding the contract is makable after a club continuation
because declarer can play the A
to drop partner's king. On the other hand, partner could easily hold the Q.
Elementary, young man!"
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IMP Bridge Index