Deal 58
 
 
 
♠  
 
 
♣  
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
1NTpass BID 
 
 
 

The bidding has gone as shown.
Decide what you would say, then click on BID above.
  ♠ K Q 10 9 3
Q J 4
8 5
♣ 6 5 2
 

 
Deal 58
 
 
 
♠  
 
 
♣  
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
1NTpass2
pass2♠pass BID 
 
 

With 9 points and a 5-card Major suit you should definitely transfer, so you bid 2.
Partner replies 2♠. What do you say now?
  ♠ K Q 10 9 3
Q J 4
8 5
♣ 6 5 2
 

 
Deal 58
 
 
 
♠ J 4
A 10 2
A J 6 2
♣ A K 7 3
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
1NTpass2
pass2♠pass2NT
pass3NTpasspass
pass

With 9 points and a 5-card Major suit you should definitely transfer, so you bid 2.
Partner replies 2♠. What do you say now?

Now you complete the sequence by bidding 2NT, trusting partner to put it in the right place.
He has maximum points and a doubleton ♠ so he puts it in 3NT.

Click NEXT to continue.
  ♠ K Q 10 9 3
Q J 4
8 5
♣ 6 5 2
 

 
Deal 58
 
 
 
♠ J 4
A 10 2
A J 6 2
♣ A K 7 3
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
1NTpass2
pass2♠pass2NT
pass3NTpasspass
pass

The contract would be 3NT played by North.

To make South the declarer click ROTATE .
  ♠ K Q 10 9 3
Q J 4
8 5
♣ 6 5 2
 

 
Deal 58
 
3NT
OL: 6
♠ K Q 10 9 3
Q J 4
8 5
♣ 6 5 2
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
1NT
pass2pass2♠
pass2NTpass3NT
passpasspass

South plays 3NT. West leads the 6, East follows with the 5.
What will you play from dummy? And what will you play from your hand.

Make a Plan, then click NEXT .
  ♠ J 4
A 10 2
A J 6 2
♣ A K 7 3
 

 
Deal 58
 
3NT
OL: 6
♠ K Q 10 9 3
Q J 4
8 5
♣ 6 5 2
  Winner List: ♠ = 0 : = 2 : = 1 : ♣ = 2 :: Total = 5

It's not as bad as that Winner List looks; you can establish 4 ♠ winners very easily.

In fact, it looks so good you might wonder what could possibly go wrong.
Here's something that can go wrong. The defenders take the SECOND ♠ trick with their ♠A. Can you get back to dummy for those other three winners?

 NEXT 
  ♠ J 4
A 10 2
A J 6 2
♣ A K 7 3
 

 
Deal 58
 
3NT
OL: 6
♠ K Q 10 9 3
Q J 4
8 5
♣ 6 5 2
  Winner List: ♠ = 0 : = 2 : = 1 : ♣ = 2 :: Total = 5

It's not as bad as that Winner List looks; you can establish 4 ♠ winners very easily.

In fact, it looks so good you might wonder what could possibly go wrong.
Here's something that can go wrong. The defenders take the SECOND ♠ trick with their ♠A. Can you get back to dummy for those other three winners?


Maybe you can and maybe you can't.
It depends on what you played from your hand at the first trick.
If you won that trick in your hand with the A, then YES, you can get to dummy by leading twice toward the  Q J.

But if you won the first trick more cheaply with your 10, (or perhaps dummy's J), and you still have that A in your hand then West will prevent you from ever getting to dummy.

Click NEXT to see the full deal.
  ♠ J 4
A 10 2
A J 6 2
♣ A K 7 3
 

 
Deal 58
 
3NT
OL: 6
♠ K Q 10 9 3
Q J 4
8 5
♣ 6 5 2
  It is ingrained in Bridge players to win tricks with the smallest card possible. And while that is usually a good idea it can sometimes be a huge mistake.

Suppose you win the first trick with your 10.
If you later play your A then West's K will stop you from getting to dummy. But if instead you play a small toward the  Q J West will grab his K and your own A will block your entry.

But if you take the first trick with a "spendthrift" A then dummy's  Q J will become a guaranteed entry to the ♠s.

And notice - no matter which way you play it you still end up with exactly 2 tricks. So the play doesn't cost a trick, it just gains an entry.

Deal 59
♠ 8 2
K 9 8 6 3
Q 7 3
♣ Q 10 4
♠ A 7 6 5
7 5
K 10 9 4
♣ J 9 8
  ♠ J 4
A 10 2
A J 6 2
♣ A K 7 3