A Self-Destructive Proclivity


J 8
7 4
K 9 6
A 8 7 6 5 4
K Q 10 7 6 4 3 2
9 8 6 5 J 3 2
10 4 3 Q J 7 5
10 2 K Q
A 9 5
A K Q 10
A 8 2
J 9 2Contract: 3 no

The play of this hand illustrates a proclivity often suspected but here demonstrated at its most naked and unambiguous. I am referring to the very common practice of putting off the chances that might make or doom the contract until it is simply too late. And the very thing that these declarers fear so much that they can't bring themselves to take a chance that might bring their defeat soon becomes unavoidable -- brought about simply by the fear of going down until the matter is out of their hands.
Opening lead was the K of spades, ducked, followed by the Q of spades, taken by declarer, who now cashed two hearts, then two diamonds, then the Q of hearts, and upon seeing the J fall, the 10 of hearts, and the finally the A of clubs. Eight top winners, and now when the opponents could almost literally close their eyes and beat the contract, declarer gave up the lead. Down one. And what was his self-ranking? Not one of the usual OKBridge rankings, but one familiar to all bridge players: Life Master.
So this was no novice. I looked up the ranking specifically to see if this was a novice, in which case I would have retained the hand but mentioned that it was played by a novice. Wasn't so. Nor is this a person who doesn't seem to know what winners look like (a category I have developed elsewhere). He evidently knew very well what winners look like, for he cashed all that were immediately available. Rather, this is clearly a declarer who simply couldn't bring himself to face a setting trick until it was out of his hands. Then he got his setting trick, a setting trick he didn't have to suffer. And at the risk of sounding a little flippant, I would have to say that this declarer needs a psychiatrist more than a bridge coach.
Lemme start with the failure to hold up a second time on the spade leads. With a four-four split, obviously that wasn't a determining factor on this hand. But there's no reason not to hold up, sluffing a diamond. It's not as he has a difficult time discarding from dummy or fears a switch to another suit, two reasons why one might eschew the hold-up. There's no downside to holding up a second time. And if it didn't affect the hand in any way, it sure doesn't augur well. Let's give the defense a 5-3 spade split, West holding the five, clubs remaining as they are, and holding up a second round is the only way to make the hand.
Now he wants to play the clubs in such a way that West doesn't get the lead. You don't want to play the J, because you might get a stiff honor on your left, and have Q 10 3 on your right, allowing you to trap the 10. I would lead low and if West doesn't go up, duck a club to East. West might have K doubleton. Maybe you see fewer dangers on another line. But the principal point here is that declarer must take a chance early on, and if you're down, you're down. You might note that in addition to the club distribution that exists, a stiff honor on your left also allows you to pick up the club suit with the loss of only one trick. Provided you didn't waste your J. Well, what if there's a stiff honor on my right? Oh, come on. So you're going down. Your partner deserves better from you, though, when normal chances lead to a fulfilled contract.
The chance should have been taken at declarer's first lead, after holding up two rounds on spades. Just go for it. If West has 5 spades and the K Q of clubs, well, so he did. But you have to bear two things in mind: If it's off for you, it's off for everybody, and if your bidding has been in the ballpark, you'll have a lot of company; and secondly, you want to impress your partner with your skill in declarer play, no? So it behooves you to take natural chances if therein lies your only chance to make a contract.