The Bridge Experts
  • Home
  • Articles
  • The Bridge Fellowship
    • Learn from the Best
    • Bridge Can Be Easier
    • General Coaching + Simulations
    • Gift certificates
  • Give us a Hand!

A matter of aesthetics

4/30/2020

0 Comments

 

Author

Marcelo Branco

I have sometimes tried to convince some of my friends to learn Bridge. I believe I am not a very good teacher.

Read More
0 Comments

The difference

3/26/2020

0 Comments

 

Author

Marcelo Branco

I remember well how my great friend and mentor, José Dulphe Pinheiro Machado, defined the difference between the good player and the great player.

Read More
0 Comments

Weird Fads and Fashions #3

2/27/2020

0 Comments

 

Author

Marcelo Branco

It is quite common to see partnerships composed of players at an intermediate, or even at a beginner, level using very complex bidding conventions. 

Read More
0 Comments

Weird Fads and Fashions - Part 2

2/20/2020

0 Comments

 

Author

Marcelo Branco

One of the strangest notions I have ever heard about -- somewhat out of fashion nowadays, I believe ...

Read More
0 Comments

Weird Fads and Fashions - Part I

2/13/2020

0 Comments

 

Author

Marcelo Branco

This article is the first of a series in which I will discuss some bidding notions that appear weird, and perhaps even mistaken, to my eyes.

Read More
0 Comments

Negative Inferences

2/6/2020

0 Comments

 

Author

Marcelo Branco

Good declarers are constantly drawing inferences from the cards played by the defenders...

Read More
0 Comments

2020 Declarer Play #3 - Solution

2/4/2020

0 Comments

 

Author

Marcelo Branco

Let us recap the problem. The lead is the Jack of hearts.

Read More
0 Comments

2020 Brazilian Bridge Trials, Bds 15-28

2/3/2020

0 Comments

 

Author

Paulo Brum

For the second round, Mello-La Rovere replaced the Salomão partnership, while Barbosa-Rodrigues came in replacing Brenner-Villas Boas. Both North-South pairs stayed the same.

Read More
0 Comments

Technique, or Table Presence?

1/30/2020

0 Comments

 

Author

Marcelo Branco

Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between good technique and what is commonly called table presence, or a talent for guessing. There is nothing mysterious or supernatural about it -- it involves mostly the use of some basic notions of probability, and common sense. 
Picture
You are playing 4 Hearts, after the lead of the Queen of hearts.

Should declarer presume that the lead was from QJ10?

Of course! It is purely common sense, coupled with the fact that you must find a good break in hearts to have any chance of making the contract. (Otherwise you would lose at least 2 Aces and 2 hearts).

So, your first plan is to draw two trumps with the Ace and King; then run all the spades, ruffing the 4th round, expecting to find them 4-3, and pitching one diamond from dummy; finally, you will play a heart, endplaying West, which must give you your 10th trick upon his return (you will make 3 spades, 4 hearts, 2 clubs, and the extra trick West will give you).

Quite simple and effective. However, after playing the two top hearts and running 3 spades, East pitches a diamond on the 3rd round. West had 5 spades originally. What now? 

You cannot insist on your original plan, since West will have an exit in the 5th spade. Since you will have to breach clubs at some point, you do it now, playing a club to the King. East should duck that, but that is often not so easy, and he won it to push a diamond through. You try the Jack, losing to West's Queen, who cashes his trump trick and plays the 4th spade trick. You ruff in dummy and this is the position you face:
Picture
In actual play, declarer now played a club to his 8!

My reasoning (for I was declarer) was that West had already showed up with 8 major suit cards, while his partner had only 4. Any specific card missing was much more likely to be with East, which had a 2-2-?-? hand originally. The most likely distribution for these unknown cards would be 5-4, in which case the club finesse was odd-on.

Good guessing, or technique? I prefer to think of it as a little bit of both, with emphasis on the second. 
0 Comments

2020 Declarer Play #3

1/28/2020

1 Comment

 

Author

Marcelo Branco

If you found our last problem somewhat too easy, try your hand at this one.
Picture
Sounds familiar?

But the lead was the Jack of hearts now.

Plan the play.
1 Comment
<<Previous

    Archives

    September 2021
    May 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019

    Categories

    All
    1st FSO
    2020 Brazilian Trials
    2/1
    Adriano Rodrigues
    Advanced
    Bidding Judgment
    Bidding Systems
    Bobby Levin
    Books
    China
    Contested Auction
    Declarer Play
    Defense
    Diego Brenner
    Double Dummy
    Emilio La Rovere
    Ernesto Muzzio
    Expert
    FSO
    Gabriel Chagas
    Giorgio-duboin
    Henrique Salomão
    Inferences
    Intermediate
    Ira Rubin
    Israel
    Jeovani Salomão
    João Paulo Campos
    Marcelo Branco
    Marcos Thoma
    Miguel Villas Boas
    Opening Lead
    Pablo Ravenna
    Paulo Brum
    Pietro Berlusconi
    Poland
    Pressure Bidding
    Raises
    Roberto Barbosa
    Roberto Mello
    Singapore
    Slam Bidding
    Stefano Tommasini
    Sweden
    Tournament Report
    Transfer Responses To 1C
    Trump Maneuvers
    USA
    Video
    World Youth Teams

    RSS Feed

Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Site powered by Page One Agency
  • Home
  • Articles
  • The Bridge Fellowship
    • Learn from the Best
    • Bridge Can Be Easier
    • General Coaching + Simulations
    • Gift certificates
  • Give us a Hand!