This Week in Bridge
(620) NT Play: Developing Winners – Choice of Techniques
© AiB Robert S. Todd
Level: 3 of 10 robert@advinbridge.com
General
Once we learn the core techniques of NT declarer play, promotion, length, and finesse, then we need to develop the skills of implementing each of them to take tricks when they come up at the table. But unfortunately, declarer play is not always as simple as finding one of these techniques and putting it to use. Sometimes we have multiple techniques to choose from, and we need to construct a line of play that is going to be successful. Let’s look at how each of these works.
Choices
Each of these fundamental play options has positives and negatives. Let’s look at each of these techniques in detail.
| Technique | Pro | Con |
|---|---|---|
| Promotion | Certain Success (develop tricks) | Certain to Lose Lead |
| Length | May win trick, may not | Don’t have to give up lead |
| Finesse | May win trick, may not | May give up lead, may not |
Promotion (like leading from KQJ) is the most clear and certain of these actions. When we lead a King and knock out the opponent’s Ace, then we have a 100% certainty that our Queen becomes a winner. It also has the certainty that we are going to give up the lead.
Attempting to develop tricks from Length (like xxx – AKQx) does not have the same certainty. This suit may produce an additional trick if the suit splits 3-3, but it may not as well. This suit does have the advantage that we can “test it” and see if it splits 3-3 without giving up the lead.
Finesse (like leading up to the AQ) is the most frustrating of all of these actions. It may or may not produce an additional trick, and it may or may not give up the lead. This line of play is often best to put off because of its lack of certainty.
Combining Our Chances
One of the keys to becoming a better declarer is to learn to combine your chances with these techniques. That way, you can make your contract if either of our chosen techniques is successful.
If we are playing in NT contract and have a suit that we “wide open”, then we must be careful not to give up the lead. In this case, we cannot use promotion, as it is certain to give up the lead. We must choose between the other techniques.
Example 1
Dummy
♠ AQ
♥ A43
♦ —
♣ 3
Declarer
♠ 43
♥ KQ52
♦ —
♣ —
Here we have two ways to get an extra trick – Hearts split 3-3 or the Spade finesse works. But if we take the Spade finesse and it fails, then the opponents can run their long Diamond suit, and we may never be able to take additional tricks. But if we test the Heart suit first, then we do not have to give up the lead, and we can then fallback (combine our chances) on the Spade finesse. Order matters; make sure you get the order of play right!
Conclusion
Declarer play involves developing skills for taking tricks and learning to choose amongst those skills for how to best take tricks. That means that we need to plan ahead and think about the “what ifs” …. Planning is a key part of the game and something that experience helps you to do. Make sure that you keep learning how to take more tricks, but even more importantly, keep working to develop better lines of play that allow you to combine your chances and give you a great probability of taking those extra tricks.