Don't relax when dummy is strong

Anders Brunzell ( Sweden )  

Born in 1938, ANDERS BRUNZELL is a mathematics and physics teacher. He has represented Sweden on many occasions, his best year being 1977 when he was part of the team that won the European Championship and went on to win the bronze medal in that year's Bermuda Bowl.

Do you recognize the following situation? The enemy has reached a game after some hesitation. You attack hopefully and dummy comes down with quite a lot to spare. It's now apparent that your left-hand opponent had been considering slam prospects and decided against, so the game seems easy enough. You doze off and wait for the next board to come.

Mostly this is OK, but occasionally you let declarer make a game you could have defeated. As a matter of fact, it is easy to defend against these 'over-strong' contracts. You can't wait for declarer to go down on his own because you be waiting forever ! No, most often this is a case of now or never. Try this deal:

’15-17

 North hesitated a bit before bidding 3NT and you hope he has aimed too high. Trying to find partner's suit, you lead a diamond and the impressive dummy goes down. You relax and observe, without real interest, that North follows low and South wins your partner's nine with the ace. Next comes a spade and, indifferently, you duck. Just as indifferently declarer wins the jack and cashes out exactly nine tricks. The full deal:

’15-17

The strong dummy put you to sleep instead of alerting you. Let South have it his way and you will never defeat the contract, even if all his guesses are wrong. Therefore, assume, by a stroke of luck, you have found the winning lead. Jump up with the ace of spades and continue diamonds!

Should South have tried to take nine tricks at once? Perhaps, but when the hearts did not break you might have stopped acting the Sleeping Beauty, so he obviously played for the better chance!

South opens a 15-17 1NT which North raises to game. You start with a club and the depressing dummy is presented. North plays low and East's ten is taken by the queen. South leads the seven of hearts but now you are awake and promptly take the ace and continue clubs. This time declarer wins ten tricks. The whole layout:

It was right to take the ace of hearts immediately, but wrong to continue clubs. How could you know ? East's minor-suit holdings might well have been reversed.

Yes, but you cannot take more than three tricks in clubs, whatever East's holding, as South must have at least one more card in the suit for his no-trump opening. What you do know is that East has at most five points, so you should place those points as favourably as possible, and play accordingly!

Hence the correct continuation is the queen of diamonds, and indeed ... Bingo!

My BOLS bridge tip is:

Don't get depressed by overwhelming strength in dummy

Quite the reverse, get alerted, and play for the only chance!