County League

Trump Control

Toby on defence

Here's an interesting hand from a Cambs and Hunts league match, where I failed to find the most killing defense. Fortunately, we won the match 20–0 anyway, so my inaccurate defense was irrelevant.

South deals	9 A 6 J 6 5 4 T 8 6 4 3 2
Q 5 2 K T 3 K Q T 9 7 4 9		T 8 6 3 J 8 4 3 A K Q 7 5
	A K J 7 4 Q 9 7 5 2 A 8 J

West
Rob

2

pass

North

pass
2

East
Toby

pass
all pass

South

1

Rob led his

9, and I returned the

3. Declarer won the

A and

A, and led back to the

9 and T. Rob now cashed the

K (I pitched a heart) and led the

T, which I ruffed with the

8 (an uppercut—forcing declarer to overruff with a high trump) and declarer overruffed with the

South deals	9 — J T 8 6 4 3
Q 5 2 K Q 9 7 —		T 6 3 — — A K 7 5
	A K 7 4 Q 7 5 — —

This was the position:

She now ruffed a heart with dummy's

9, and I overruffed with the

T and led back the

A. She found the key play of ruffing with the

4. Rob overruffed with the

5, and led back another diamond, which I ruffed with the

6. Declarer could now overruff with the

7, draw trumps, and cash her two good hearts. It makes no difference if Rob refuses to overruff—declarer just draws two trumps and runs the hearts until Rob ruffs with his last trump (I have only two trumps by this stage). Contract made.

If declarer had ruffed with the

7, Rob could have overruffed with the

Q, and returned a diamond. Now, when I ruff with the

6, declarer must overruff with the

K, and Rob's

5 is promoted!

So my line gave declarer a losing option, but there was a better line, which gives declarer no winning option: don't overruff the

9! Now declarer is stuck in dummy, and must ruff something back to her hand, so she can't draw all the trumps and run the hearts.