ENTRY MANAGEMENT [PART 4]
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2♦ | |||
| Pass | 2♥ | Pass | 2♠ |
| Pass | 4♠ |
Lead: ♣Q.
The only card that can become an entry to dummy and let you cash the King of Diamonds and thus find your tenth trick is the 10 of Spades. If, after unblocking the Diamond Ace, you intuitively play Ace and Queen of Spades in order to dislodge the King, you risk being doomed opposite a good player who ducks with King-third. Playing small towards the 10 fails as soon as the King is to your right. The solution lies in a more cunning line of play. Rather than playing the Ace and losing control at the same time, start with the Queen. You are all but home if the King shows up. If not, continue with the Jack. This time, the defender holding the King must win or else see his trump trick disappear! The 10 then becomes the entry you longed for…
IN THE SAME SPIRIT, THE FOLLOWING DEALS REQUIRE SOME IMAGINATION…
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | Pass | Pass | 1♠ |
| Pass | 1NT | Pass | 4♠ |
West continues with the King and then the Queen, with East following each time.
The hope of finding the 9 of Spades singleton is very slim… After passing and showing Ace-King-Queen of Clubs, West cannot hold the King of Diamonds. You can therefore afford to give up a trump trick if you find a way to finesse in Diamonds after discarding two Diamonds on dummy’s Hearts. Ruff the third Club with a high Spade and then play the 4 to dummy’s 7! Once the 9 is kicked out, you then have a sure dummy entry with the 8 to carry out the rest of your plan.
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1♠ | |||
| Pass | 1NT | Pass | 3♣ |
| Pass | 3♦ | Pass | 3NT |
Lead: ♥4 (fourth best).
East follows with the Queen. Fearing the Clubs as much as the Hearts, you immediately win and play the King of Diamonds, which is ducked by your opponents…
You have only eight tricks (if the Spades are friendly). You must play on the Diamonds. However, to establish the suit and then cash it, you need two entries. Only the 9 of Spades can be you second entry. Rather than hoping for an improbable singleton 10, try a finesse of the 9, even if it means losing a trick. This “useless” finesse provides an additional entry. Not so useless after all.
