BRIDGE NOTES: match point defence at Bridge

Not many inexperienced players excited about playing in a Pairs Tournament really know exactly what they need to try and achieve. For the strategy and tactics at a pairs game is vastly different from what players used to Rubber Bridge or Team Event competition try to do. For they are little aware of the method of scoring ie receiving 2 match points for each pair they beat and one for each pair they tie with. Thus it doesn't matter whether you outscore another pair by 10 aggregate points or by a thousand you still earn only 2 match points for beating them.
This requires a strategy to just outscore them. For that you need to know your absolute par ie the minimum numbers of points that can be lost by the weaker side. This applies not only to the play but also defence in a pairs contest.
Our illustrations for today is one such example. Say you are east holding the following:
The bidding proceeds as under:-
A really tough battle for part score fiercely challenged for outscoring pairs in the same position. Your partner, west leads 10D against south's 3H doubled contract and the following dummy surfaces:
Dummy plays low and so will you, west continuing with the deuce of diamonds won by the ace in dummy.
The JC led from dummy is not covered by you, playing low and south puts the KC taken by your partner's ace. West now leads the 10S and dummy plays low. As east, take it from there to find your best defence strategy. What are your plans and which card do you play?
First of all you need to concentrate on what is probably the south distribution. This is not too difficult to conjure looking at the bidding and the leads made by both west and south. One thing more known only to you is the plus point you know you have earned when south did not go through with the finesse of the JC and misjudged your clubs by placing the KC under your partner's scaffold. Such bonuses in a pair's contract are huge and need to be taken full advantage. Any lapse by the defence could neutralize this early advantage. Let us try to reconstruct south's possible distribution.
His bidding of hearts twice on his own without partner's support suggests be cannot hold less than 6. South's duck of the diamonds suggest that he most likely holds 3 low ones. West's 2S clearly, singles out south's holding to one which means that his clubs can be either 3 or 2 but wait a minute. With 3 he would have let the JC ride. So his clubs are definitely a doubleton king, which gives him precisely 7 hearts. This leaves your possible tricks to be one in heart or two, none in spade, 2 in diamonds and of course 2 in clubs now that south misjudged his club play. But what if south has 7 hearts headed by 3 honors. Then partner is likely to hold 4 cards to one top honor and may not be able to notch an extra heart trick. Plus 100 for you for one down may not be a bad result but you should try for a top score that can come with an extra trick in hearts. How? By trump promotion. Let me reveal the south hand now:
Can you now spot the winning defence? Yes you need to tell partner to shift to clubs for your entry in promoting partner's 8H. For partner holds:
How do you do that? Yes by playing KS deliberately on partner's 10S telling him there is no future here. The club return by partner when he takes the AH, ducking once, would now yield him the trump promotion when you play your diamonds that declarer would have to ruff high. Plus 300 for 2 down not only gives you a top but a great feeling of executing good defence at match point pairs.

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K J 8 2

9 4

K Q J 6

Q 9 4

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W      N      E      S

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-      -     1NT   Dbl

P     2C      P     2H

2S   Dbl      P     3H

Dbl           All Pass

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Q 7 4 3

-

A 9 8 3

J 10 8 5 2

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A

K Q J 10 6 5 2

7 5 4

K 7

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10 9 6 5

A 8 7 3

10 2

A 6 3

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