762 / 
KJ9865
/ 
J / 
AKQEnabling the Error
Sometimes a contract cannot be made without a defensive error. In such a case, you still get credit if you created the opportunity for the error to occur.
Playing pairs, I am the dealer at favorable vulnerability, and I hold:
762 / KJ9865
/ J / AKQ
I open 1 and West overcalls 2.
Partner bids 2 and East passes.
I don’t have a whopper in terms of strength, but I have extra length
in hearts and partner did make a free bid. I think I am worth an invitation,
so I bid 3. Partner bids 4
and all pass. After some thought, West leads the 4,
and partner comes down with a hand that makes the contract almost cold, but
not quite:
| Q J 8 5 A Q 7 3 10 7 8 7 6 |
||
 |
||
|
|
W |
N |
E |
S |
1 |
|||
2 |
2 |
P |
3 |
P |
4 |
AP |
I win the A as East plays the
10, and I draw the last trump with a small heart to the King, East discarding
an encouraging diamond. I have to lose one diamond and two spades, so the whole
hand comes down to avoiding a third spade loser.
If I lead spades toward dummy’s QJ
twice, I will score the Queen or Jack provided West holds at least one of the
missing spade honors, which seems likely. A priori, it’s a 75% chance.
It comes down to 66%, because West would have led a top spade if he had AK,
but then it gets somewhat better than that, because West put in that vulnerable
2 overcall. It's a strong chance, anyway.
So it looks like an easy hand, but who knows, maybe West is weak on points but has extra diamond length.
As I am thinking of a way to improve the chances, it occurs to me that it’s a pity the defense didn’t open with a diamond and continue a diamond, because then I would make the contract almost automatically. After ruffing the second diamond, I would just draw trump and cash the clubs. Then I lead a spade to the board, and although East probably wins, she is endplayed: any return costs the defense a trick.
Unfortunately, at this point, I can’t legitimately engineer
such an endplay, because I'd have to lose a diamond before attacking spades,
and West could get in and lead a spade over to East, who could get out safely
with a diamond. Then I'd have to lead spades again myself and I’d lose
three spade tricks if East has the AK.
But why not give it a try anyway! There’s no guarantee the defenders will make the right play. And even if they do, I’ll be no worse off than I am now, because I can always fall back on leading spades twice toward the dummy.
So I cash the three club tricks and lead the J.
West takes the Queen and after a moment’s thought leads back a diamond!
I happily ruff in hand and now I have the 100% play.
I lead a spade toward the board. East takes the King, thinks about it, realizes that she is endplayed, and finally leads back the thirteenth club. I sluff a spade, ruff in dummy, and claim for making four.
And what do you know, East had the A
after all! So the endplay was necessary to make the contract. We get 17 out
of 23 matchpoints.
So even when a play requires a defensive error, it’s
worth trying if it’s a free extra chance. The defenders can’t see
all their cards and who knows what they will do.
The full deal was:
| Q J 8 5
A Q 7 3 10 7
8 7 6 |
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|
A K 9 10 K 9 8 6 2 10 9 5 3 |
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[Bethesda Regional, Open Pairs, 7-9-2010]