Pat Harrington
An opponent is dangerous for two reasons. He might have enough tricks in his hand to set you. Or he might be able to attack a questionable stopper in your hand or dummy. Declarer must always keep these two dangers in mind. How does a dangerous opponent affect your plan on our first deal?
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ A 5 3 | ♠ K 6 4 |
| ♥A K Q | ♥9 6 2 |
| ♦K 8 7 | ♦J 9 |
| ♣ 10 9 4 3 | ♣ A Q J 7 5 |
You are in 3NT as West. North leads the ♦4. South wins the first trick with ♦A, playing the♦5 at trick two. What is your plan?
Count winners: two spades, three hearts, one club and the ♦K. Two more tricks must be developed. The only place to do this is in clubs. If the club finesse works, you will make two overtricks. Even if the finesse loses, you will have enough club tricks to make 3NT — provided the opponents cannot take enough diamond tricks to set you.
North-South hold eight diamonds. In the case of a 4–4 diamond split, the opponents have only three diamonds and the ♣K if the finesse loses. If diamonds do not break 4–4, which opponent is likely to have the greater length? North led the suit and we usually lead from length in notrump. North is dangerous to you if he has an entry to that long suit. Luckily, the club finesse can lose only to South.
That means South is dangerous only if he has a diamond to lead to North. Hold up on winning your ♦K until the third diamond lead. East took the♦ A at trick one, so your king is a sure stopper and you can wait to win it. If East has another diamond to lead after getting in with the ♣K, the suit has split 4–4 and you’re safe.
When West has five or more diamonds, you make 3NT with an overtrick. You would have been set if you had won the ♦K at trick two. The full deal:
| ♠ J 9 8 | ||
| ♥ J 8 4 | ||
| ♦ Q 10 6 4 3 | ||
| ♣ 8 2 | ||
| ♠ A 5 3 | ♠ K 6 4 | |
| ♥ A K Q | ♥ 9 6 2 | |
| ♦ K 8 7 | ♦ J 9 | |
| ♣ 10 9 4 3 | ♣ A Q J 7 5 | |
| ♠ Q 10 7 2 | ||
| ♥ 10 7 5 3 | ||
| ♦ A 5 2 | ||
| ♣ K 6 |
The next deal also has a dangerous opponent. Who is it and how can you protect your contract? Again, you (West) are in 3NT. North leads the ♠10, on which South discards the ♦3 (a discouraging card).
| West | East |
|---|---|
| ♠ A K J 3 | ♠ Q 7 4 |
| ♥6 5 2 | ♥K 4 |
| ♦A 2 | ♦K 10 9 5 |
| ♣ A J 5 3 | ♣ K 10 9 6 |
Your winners are four spades, two diamonds and two clubs. You need one more trick. That trick can be had in clubs no matter how you play the suit. For once, the opponents didn’t find your weak suit on opening lead, but the cat’s out of the bag now. If North gains the lead again, he will not continue spades. What switch do you fear? Hearts!
Do you have a heart stopper? Definitely — when South leads hearts. If you or North lead hearts, your stopper depends on the location of the ace. North is your dangerous opponent because he might be able to attack hearts successfully. Can you make 3NT without allowing North to gain the lead? If you play the top two clubs followed by the jack (assuming the queen didn’t drop), the ♣10 will become trick nine, but you are not in control of who gains the lead when you play the suit that way. You are in control when you finesse — and with this club suit you can play either opponent for the queen (a so-called two-way finesse).
You can play it safe by assuming your dangerous opponent, North, has the ♣Q. Play the ♣A at trick two and finesse North for the queen. You will still make your contract even if it loses to South. You will have set up the needed club trick while protecting your ♥K. If you had taken the club finesse the other way, West could switch to a heart and set 3NT by two tricks. The full deal:
| ♠ 10 9 8 6 5 2 | ||
| ♥ 9 7 3 | ||
| ♦ Q | ||
| ♣ Q 7 2 | ||
| ♠ A K J 3 | ♠ Q 7 4 | |
| ♥ 6 5 2 | ♥ K 4 | |
| ♦ A 2 | ♦ K 10 9 5 | |
| ♣ A J 5 3 | ♣ K 10 9 6 | |
| ♠ — | ||
| ♥ A Q J 10 8 | ||
| ♦ J 8 7 6 4 3 | ||
| ♣ 8 4 |
You will be more successful if you identify the dangerous opponent when you plan your play. Sometimes you can maneuver to keep that opponent off lead. Sometimes you just have to pray.