Up Antenna

Some players just have the knack of knowing the lay of the land when they play Bridge.

Robert Lebi, Toronto ON and Dan Jacob, Vancouver BC are just a handful of players that have that gift.

In the SF Life Master Open Pairs Final evening session.

Board 4. Dealer West. Both vulnerable.

Robert (East) : ♠ 97 ♥ AKQ1084 ♦ AQ ♣ A75

 

The lead was the King of ♣ 

You see this dummy : ♠ K853 ♥ 632 ♦  98653 ♣ J

How would you play?

This was Robert’s line of play :

The King of clubs was led, it went Jack, six won by the Ace. At trick 2, he trumped the five of clubs in dummy with the six of hearts, all following. Then Robert ran five rounds of trumps.

After seven tricks, these were the remaining cards.

On the sixth and final trump, there was no escape for South, He was trump squeezed, If he discarded another Diamond, Robert would have played the Ace and dropped the King so South had to discard a club.

At Trick 8, Robert threw South in with a club and waited for his two diamond tricks!

Making 10 tricks and the contract, for a great score.

The Deal :

 

A few boards later it was Dan’s turn to shine.

Board 11. Dealer South. None vulnerable.

Dan (West) : ♠ KJ74 ♥ K753 ♦ KJ ♣ K87

This was the auction :

The lead was the nine of ♦

This was the dummy :

 

 

 

The play went nine of diamonds, three, Ace and Jack. The seven of diamonds came back, King, North ruff with the four of hearts and four. At trick 3, North played the five of clubs, Jack, three and seven. Dan drew three rounds of trumps ended up in hand. Played the Jack of spades, covered by the Queen, won with the Ace and three. Next Queen of clubs, four, eight and North ducked.

Trick 9, Dan played the six of diamonds from dummy, ten, ruff with the last trump, North was caught in an interesting non-material squeeze position. (North did not have to discard a winner) He discarded a club.

With 4 tricks to play, these were the reminding cards.

 

Dan now led the four of spades, finesse the eight when North withheld the nine. Cashed the ten of spades, then exited with a  club to end play North. A stepping stone to his good King of spades.

The deal.

Well done!