Develop your bridge---declarer play

Ruffing finesse

The requirement for a ruffing finesse is always a singleton opposite a typical finesse position, A Q J 10. If declarer can afford to lose a trick to a missing honour, a ruffing finesse is often preferable to a 'normal' one, since he can discard a loser when the honour card is not covered, and ruff when it is. The following hands will illustrate.

West

(North)

East

Dummy

Declarer

S A Q J 10

S 3

H Q 9 3 2

H A K J 10 4

D 4 3 2

(South)

D K 7 6

C A 7

C 6 5 4 3

The contract is four hearts and the lead is a trump. Declarer has a certain ten tricks (make sure you can count them) provided the defenders are unable to play through your vulnerable king of diamond holding, before you have set up your spades for discards. A normal finesse (leading up to the queen of spades), runs the risk of putting the lead in to the danger hand ie North.

To prevent that, after drawing trumps, play the ace then the queen of spades. If the king appears, ruff it. You can then enter dummy and discard losers on the jack and ten of spades. If the king doesn't appear, discard a diamond. If the queen loses to the king, defenders can only take one diamond trick as the lead is with South, not North.

Dummy

S Q 9 4

H A Q J 10

D A J 4

C K 4 2

Declarer

S A K J 10 8 5 2

H 3

D 6 3

C A 7 3

The contract is six spades and the lead is the two of diamonds. What is your plan ?

Take the diamond lead in dummy with the ace, draw trumps and lead a heart to the ace. Continue with the queen of hearts and if it is not covered, discard a diamond. Other losers can then subsequently be discarded on the established hearts. If it is covered, ruff it, and later on throw your losers on the jack and ten of hearts.

When you are ready, have a look at these practise hands which encompass concepts from all aspects of declarer play.

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Contact Ray

Three-handed bridge

There are two versions that I would recommend. They are both good for practise in playing the cards, but not much good for bidding since you do not have a partner during the auction. The one below is not so much of a gamble as the second.

Deal seventeen cards to each player. Turn the last card face up. This is the beginning of dummy. Each player now contributes four cards from their hand to dummy, ensuring that their collection has at least four points. All dummy's cards are placed face down, but in suits.

Each player now bids for the privilege of playing with dummy, knowing its shape and also that it must have twelve points. Be prepared to overbid. You may only get one chance! Scores can be kept more-or-less as normal using three columns.

Have a look at the other three-handed game here.