Ernestine - The Six of Spades
Ernestine chose her name simply because she liked it. She was a diligent, studious type who took the game extremely seriously. If school reports were given from the Bridge Class, Ernestine's would be characterised by the epithet 'Tries Hard'. To the Pack she was known as 'Earnest Ernie', a sobriquet she privately hated.
Still, she sometimes remembered points from Euclid's lessons. Her particular favourite was CCCP, or Russia, as he cryptically called it. Count, Count, Count and Plan. Count points, count suit lengths, count winners, and then and only then Plan the Play or Defence.
| Juliet (dummy) | |||
| ♠ 943 | |||
| ♥ AK | |||
| ♦ KQJ953 | |||
| ♣ 32 | |||
| Ernestine | |||
| ♠ 2 | ♠ J106 | ||
| ♥ Q8642 | |||
| ♦ A76 | |||
| ♣ 54 | |||
| South | West | North | East | |
| Napoleon | Alan | Juliet | Ernestine | |
| 1NT12-14 | Pass | 3NT | End |
Knowing something of Ernestine's character, you can probably duplicate her thoughts as Alan led the two of spades against Napoleon's three no-trump contract.
Count the Points. Dummy has thirteen points, I have seven, declarer has a minimum of twelve; thirteen, seven and twelve make thirty-two. So partner will have a maximum of eight.
Count the Suit Lengths. Partner's two of spades indicates a three or four card suit headed by an honour. So declarer has three or four spades.
What was that tip Diotima, the queen of spades told me the other day? Oh yes: if you're trying to work out the Suit Lengths, start with the suits where you and dummy hold the least or most cards.
Since dummy and I only hold four clubs between us, either partner or declarer must have five of the suit. As Alan would have preferred to lead a five card suit, the odds are that declarer has five clubs.
If declarer holds five clubs and a four card major, he would have opened one club not 1NT. So partner's two of spades should be his fourth highest. Putting all this together, declarer's shape ought to be something like 5 Clubs, 3 spades and 3-2 in the red suits, while west has 4 spades, 4 clubs and 3-2 or 4-1 in hearts and diamonds.
Count the Tricks. For once this is easy. Declarer has five diamond, two heart and at least one spade trick, so Napoleon only needs one more trick to make his contract.
Plan your play. Declarer cannot have the AKQ of spades, as partner wouldn't have led the two from a suit headed by the eight. So partner must have one or two spade honours.
There was another piece of advice I remember from last week's lesson. If you're trying to place the honour cards, start with the Aces.
If declarer holds the ace of clubs he will win this trick, force out the ace of diamonds and we'll be restricted to one diamond and three spade tricks. So I must place partner with the club ace - which means, at most, he can only have four points in spades.
If partner has only two, three or four points in spades declarer must hold AKx, AQx or KQx in the suit. If south holds either the AK or AQ, we will need four club tricks to beat the contract. But, as partner can only have six or so points in clubs so that's a..., that's a..., what did Euclid call it? Ah, yes, a non secateur. I wonder what a garden implement has to do with logic? Stop wandering! Concentrate!
Ergo, to stand a chance of beating the contract, partner must hold both black aces, which gives declarer KQx in spades.
Wait! That's no good! Declarer will win my ten with his queen, then, after I take the ace of diamonds I wouldn't be able to return a spade without setting up dummy's nine.
What about ducking this trick? No, that's no good, declarer will just win with his low card. Unless..., wait, yes that's it! If declarer holds precisely KQ5 of spades then I, the lowly six, will force an honour. Then, provided my ace of diamonds wins before partner's ace of clubs, we will be able to take three spades, a diamond and a club to beat the contract.
This may look silly but it seems the only chance and what fun it would be if Napoleon has to play the king or queen of spades to better me, Ernestine the lowly six! Right, I'm sure the logic is sound so that's how I'm going to play.
Here's the full hand, and as you can see Ernestine's ploy was successful. At trick two Napoleon played a diamond to the ace, after which, two spade tricks, a club to the ace and the thirteenth spade meant he was one down.
The full hand:
| Juliet | |||
| ♠ 943 | |||
| ♥ AK | |||
| ♦ KQJ953 | |||
| ♣ 32 | |||
| Alan | Ernestine | ||
| ♠ A872 | ♠ J106 | ||
| ♥ 753 | ♥ Q8642 | ||
| ♦ 42 | ♦ A76 | ||
| ♣ A1076 | ♣ 54 | ||
| Napoleon | |||
| ♠ KQ5 | |||
| ♥ J109 | |||
| ♦ 108 | |||
| ♣ KQJ98 | |||
It was rumoured that Ernestine smiled as she wrote fifty in the plus column. However, those of the Pack who didn't witness the event were sceptical that 'Earnest Ernie' was capable of such a display of emotion.
Napoleon was not so amused, as the contract is makable if he had guessed the location of the aces. After winning the first spade declarer can play two top clubs which west must duck. Then he knocks out the ace of diamonds. As the spades are blocked the defence can only take four tricks.
The Pack excitedly scored the first eight boards and discovered the Spades had taken an early lead. With over six hundred boards left to play however, no one was claiming victory as yet.