The Robson Touch

Cashing top cards to extract cards in defenders’ hands before exiting is known as the Dentist’s Coup – because of the card extraction, like teeth. How should the play and defense go on this interesting 4 Hearts? None vulnerable. WNES1NTDble(1)2♠Pass3♠Dble(2)Pass4♥(1)…

If a defender always played second-hand low on a low card, he would be right about 80 per cent of the time. It makes sense, therefore, for an experienced player to follow the practice. The more you play, however, the…

Our main focus in recent months has been the Principle of Restricted Choice, stating that when an opponent plays a relevant card in a suit, the other opponent is almost twice as likely to have the adjacent missing card in…

Alphonse (“Sonny”) Moyse, US player of the mid-twentieth century, loved the four-three fit. How right he is (or would have been – Moyse died in 1973) on today’s deal from a World Championships. Both 4 Hearts and 4 Spades can…

Plan the play in 6 Diamonds on a Diamond lead (West wisely unwilling to break open any other suit). None vulnerable. W N E S 1♦ 1♠(1) 2♠(2) Pass 4♦(3)  Pass 6♦(4) (1) Close between Double and 1♠. I like…

Plan the play in 6 Diamonds on the 10 of Spades lead. East-West Vulnerable. W N E S 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass  4♣(1) Pass 4♥(2) Pass 4♠(3) Pass 6♦(4) (1) Splinter bid, showing Club shortage and slam interest in support…

It was far from easy to reach slam on this deal after East had opened 1NT and West had made a free bid. North-South Vulnerable. W N E S 1NT 2♥(1) 2♠(2) 3NT Pass 5♦ Pass 6♥(3) (1) Heavy.(2) Light.(3)…

Make this week’s Four Hearts and my team reaches the Gold Cup final. I did not. W N E S 1♦ 1♠ 1NT 2♠ 3♦ 3♥ Pass 4♥(*) (*) With a choice, a 4-4 fit usually plays better than a…

“Don’t give a ruff-and-discard.” It’s so ingrained in the minds of defenders that the many occasions where giving a ruff-and-discard is the only winning defense are mostly overlooked. However, not on this deal featuring fine defense from Jill Meyers of…

Admire the declarer-play of Israel’s David Fohrer on this 3 No-Trump from a major championship. W N E S 1♣ 2♥(*) Pass Pass 2NT Pass 3NT (*) Weak overcall. West realized the futility of leading a Heart – with no…

On this deal from the European Championships, plan the play in 6 Hearts on the 7 of Diamonds opening lead. W N E S 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 3♥ Pass 5♥(*) Pass 6♥ (*) Inviting slam, in particular asking partner…

On today’s deal, declarer survived a misdefense to make their thin 4 Spades game. W N E S 1NT 2♠ 3♦(*) 3♠ Pass 4♠ (*) As a purely competitive (i.e., non-forcing) bid, I’d say this is a trifle cowardly. Punt…

It appears you as declarer need a fourth Club trick to make this 6 Diamond slam. Or do you? W N E S 1♦ 2♦(1 2♥(2) 4♠(3) 5♣(4) Pass 6♦ (1) Michaels, showing five-five in the majors. West would probably pass if…

A conundrum. See if you can make 7 Hearts on the King of Diamonds lead, East petering with the nine to show a likely doubleton. W N E S 1♥ Pass 4NT(1) Pass 5♣(2) Pass 5NT(3) Pass 6♣(4) Pass 7♥(5)…

“I should have taken the Club finesse”, said declarer ruefully after going down in this 6 Spades. W N E S 1♠ Pass 4NT(1) Pass 5♦(2) Pass 6♠ (1) Roman Keycard Blackwood agreeing Spades.(2) One or four of the five…

W N E S 1♣ 1♠ 1NT 2♠ 3♥ Pass 4♥(1) Pass 6♥(2) (1) Sensible choice. 3NT looks fraught as partner is virtually marked with a Spade void.(2) One high Heart opposite and the slam rates to have decent play.…

This 3 No-Trump from a world youth bridge championship under 21’s defeated most declarers. However, count your winners and you are well-placed to succeed. W N E S 1♠ Pass 1NT Pass 3NT(*) (*) 3♦ is possible but would suggest a…

If a good declarer plays (to) a King early in the play, they want you as the defender to take your Ace. It follows that you should probably duck. W N E S 1♦ Dble Pass  2♥(*) 3♦ 4♥ (*)…

W N E S 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT(*) Pass 3♦ Pass 3♠ Pass 6NT (*) Best played as 15-19 and forcing to game facing a Two-over-One response. West led the 9 of Spades v your 6 No-Trumps, you beating East’s…

On this deal from a top tournament, I heard of no declarer who made 4 Hearts, although a couple of declarers were heard muttering into their cappuccinos about missing a chance. W N E S 1♠ Pass Pass 2♥ Pass…

You do not pre-empt primarily to keep the opponents out of the bidding. In fact, as soon as your left-hand opponent bids (over your pre-empt), you’re happy. Now, the main upside of pre-empting – namely forcing the opponents too high…

With 30 high-card points, you would expect North-South to make 3 No-Trump comfortably. Plan the play on the Jack of Clubs lead. W N E S 2NT Pass 3NT You have eight top tricks and several chances of a ninth…

Some bridge players hate post-mortems. Personally, I love them – and my team routinely goes through every deal played that day, chewing over the instructive points and learning from our mistakes. Here is an East-West disaster from the World Bridge…

W N E S 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 4♥ Pass 5♦(1) Pass 6♥(2) (1) Ace showing cue-bid – South has great controls and is just worth a slam try.(2) Plenty in reserve, a clear acceptance. West leads the…

An uppercut is a technique of trump promotion. Take this layout of trumps: ♠ 5432 ♠ J6 ■  ♠ Q7 ♠ AK1098 If West leads a suit in which East and declarer are both void, and East ruffs with the Queen, declarer can overruff…