Hi all
I’m counting down to October 3. Two more weeks and I’ll be living in Berkeley, together with Sanne. I’m both excited and anxious. But I can put a checkmark where I had my biggest fears: getting my visa at the US embassy. It took less than an hour, 90 Euros and my fingerprints, but I got it. Jannes happy.
Now it’s just me and my stuff, I have to decide what I want to put in storage, what to bring along and what to dispose of.
But you’re here for bridge. How are your card-reading skills?
1
1. Weak
West starts with the Jack of and East takes his Ace and King before exiting in 
. Trumps split and you see there are nine tricks already, you just have to prevent losing two .
How to tackle them?
Cash the suit ending in dummy and you have a near complete count on East. Presumably a six card suit, so far he has shown two and three so that leaves room for just two . The rest is easy if you follow the technical correct play (split honours): a small towards your Jack. If East inserts a honour you can finesse the other one thru West, else you’re able to drop East’s honour-doubleton.
Piece of cake, eh?
Yes, but why should East insert his Q? Now you still have to read if East had 8x (or singleton 8 ) and West KQx(x) … I do agree it is the correct play though – only a very good (or sleepy) East would duck with Kx :-)
In this particular deal the following play fails due to lack of entries (unless we don’t test diamonds first), but it might be a better way to tackle this suit.
Start by leading the J, presumably covered. If not, let it run. Whatever happens, play a small club from the hand next.
If the J was covered by West: Duck it out.
If the J was covered by East: Finesse the T.
This play always wins when the original one does, but what is West going to do with KQx? Duck the second round of clubs? If not we also win this one.