Book a Course

View all the latest courses going on at the bridge club and book yours now...
View Courses View Playing Schedule

Drawing inferences from your partners card

You have led low and dummy has only low cards. Because the third player should play high, but cheaper of touching highest cards, you can draw huge inferences.

Exercise:

  Dummy
974
 
West (you)
K 8 5 2
Declarer East
(a)10
  (a) A (b) Q
  (b)A (c) J
  (c)A (d) J
  (d) ♥ Q  

What can you as West work out about the location of the missing honours in each case?

  • (a) Declarer would not win A unless he had to, so East must have QJ, entirely consistent with his play of 10, cheaper of equals.
  • (b) East would have played J if he had it, so declarer has J. 
  • (c) Declarer would have won Q if he had it. Therefore East has Q. As to 10, East would have played the cheaper card from QJ10, so declarer must have it. 
  • (d) Partner would have played A (third hand high) if he had it. So declarer has A. Declarer must also have 10, or partner would have played the cheaper 10 (rather than J).
South Deals
None Vul
7 5 2
Q 10
A K 6
Q J 10 7 4
K 8 6 3
9 4 3 2
9 7 3
A K
 
N
W   E
S
 
J 9 4
A 7 6 5
10 4 2
5 3 2
 
A Q 10
K J 8
Q J 8 5
9 8 6
West North East South
      1 NT
Pass 3 NT1 Pass Pass
Pass      
  1. Upgrading, given the sequentially rich five-card suit.

What happened
West led  3 vs 3 NT, and Trick One went  3,  2,  J,  Q. At Trick Two declarer led  9, and West won  K. He then led  6. Declarer won  10 and drove out  A. West persevered with  8, but declarer could win  A and cash his minor-suit winners. Game made plus one.
What should have happened
Trick One reveals to West that declarer holds  A (partner would have played  A as third hand high if he held the card). It also reveals that declarer holds  10 - East would have played the cheaper  10 from  J10. So when at Trick Two West wins  K, he must not lead a second spade, rather try to put East on play for a spade through declarer’s known  A10. Looking at dummy, it is clear for West to switch to hearts (the weakness), and he selects  9, as a high for hate lead. East wins  A and reverts to  9 (top from two remaining). West beats declarer’s  10 with  K, returns  6 to  A, then wins the second club with  A and cashes  8. Down one.
If you remember one thing...
Partner’s third hand play (high but cheaper of touching highest) can tell the leader a huge amount about the layout of the suit.

ARBC: 31 Parsons Green Lane, London SW6 4HH
Call NOW: 0207 471 4626