Play of the Cards - Getting rid of losing tricks immediately

Contract : 4
Lead: King of Spades

			A 8 3
			Q 6 3 2
			A Q 5
			J 5 4
	K Q 10 4	N W E S			9 7 5 2
	9				A 4
	10 9 4 3				J 8 6 2
	K 9 8 2				A 7 6
			J 6
			K J 10 8 7 5
			K 7
			Q 10 3

The bidding:

South: "I pass"; North: "I open"
South transmits in writing: (2 -6 - 2 - 3) and 10 H points.
North sees the ten card fit in Hearts (= 2 bonus points) + 13 H + 2 D points in South, i.e. a total of 27 DH points: so he bids 4ª and makes his partner play them because he has the long trumps suit.

It is almost certain that the declarer will fail because he has not thought of his losing tricks: he already knows that he must draw all the trumps "before all else" and "concede" a Spade trick which will not appear to him to be of any serious consequence. After the Trumps he will attack in Diamonds and make one Club trick; only then will he see the damage…

It is probable that the majority of your pupils will not see how they should have won the contract because they do not yet have the notion of making your losers…

We will use this deal to help them acquire the concept once and for all in the following manner: Ask these two questions:

Starting with the answer: "because the opponent cannot stop us taking them", ask the question: "Why?" There will be here some hesitation before you get to the right answer: "because he can't trump in because there are no Trumps".

Now get into the idea of Trump contracts and explain that, since there is now a Trump suit, we are going to do the opposite: we are going to count the tricks that we must lose and make sure that this number does not exceed that permitted by the contract.

Return to the deal above and make them count the losing tricks of the hand, one in Spades (advice 8.6), one in Hearts, none in Diamonds (advice 8.7) and two in Clubs (advice 8.8), so four, i.e. one too many…

Put the problem in these terms: "If I want to win my contract, t the end one of the losers must have disappeared…."

And now we get to the hard bit: how to manage that?

Let them think about it…. Put them on the track after a moment by inviting them to look at Diamonds: get them to state that there are the three masters in the two hands and only two cards in South: it is probable at this moment that the brain of the group will discover that a loser can be discarded on the Queen of Diamonds. Ask innocently: "Which loser?" and if the answer is "a Club" you can reply: "That's no use … Why?" Congratulate those who say that there are still two losing cards whereas the losing Spade, that can be discarded.

Finish the demonstration by asking what card should be led for the second trick; don't let them off the hook until they have named the 5 of Diamonds and show those who are perturbed by the fact that you don't begin with Trumps that the opponent who has the Ace of Hearts will immediately re-lead Spades, either because he has the Queen himself or he knows that his partner has it.

Finally give them the principle of the day: