Being Too Clever

Finding the only way to go down in 3NT.

I was declarer in 3NT with my diamond holding being 8 5 4 2 and dummies holding being J 5.

When playing out my long spades so the opponents had to find discards, and trying to be clever, I thought if I discarded a diamond from dummy the opponents would attack hearts next rather than diamonds.

I was not only wrong - they attacked diamonds next - I had found the only way to go down in my contract of 3NT.

The opponents diamond holdings were A 10 9 and K Q 7 3 so if I had not discarded the diamond 5 the opponents diamonds would have been blocked or my 8 would have been a winner.

I was being too clever for my own good!

One of my partners did something similar with false carding as declarer. He was declarer in 3NT with a club holding of Q 8 2 in hand opposite J 10 7 on the table. On the lead of the 5 clubs he played the 8 under the King of clubs played by his right hand opponent.

Because of this false card, it emerged in the later discussion that this resolved the problem for the right hand opponent. Apparently in their leading system the 5 would have been ambiguous if the 8 was also held, but now the defender could be sure that declarer held the Queen. So a deadly switch was found before a club trick was established.

Part of the pleasure of the game are these kinds of subtleties.

Enjoy your bridge.
R. Wells Simple Tips with Big Impact