Bridge is not all about making game contracts or slams be it little or grand. Its about bidding and playing par contracts whether they are at the 6 level, 4 level, 3 level or below. Bidding in bridge is therefore, equally important and the declarer play has to match its bidding with a fool proof plan to execute the contract in a manner, which fulfils, all the basic requirements of ensuring the contract bid in as best a manner as possible.
More often that not, players get to be a little non-serious in their part contracts, looking perhaps to the fact that a game or slam contract exerts maximum pressure on the declarer's stamina and nerves, so that after playing continuously for hours, working with ferocious concentration on his game and slam contracts, when a partial contract comes his way, he tends to relax a bit and thats where his concentration slips and he throws away his advantage. That is why it is emphasised time and again that in competitive bridge it is the bidding and making of part contracts that give you the final edge in the match for the game and slam contracts usually fizzle out evenly if the standard of bidding defense and play is of the highest standard.
Notwithstanding the above fact, players have been seen making the most fool hardy slips in the bidding and making of part contracts. Most players play with an even tempo every deal. Some rare ones find part games more fascinating than game contracts, for here, while the declarer has to make fewer tricks, he also has an extra advantage over his opponents who have to place a lot of evenly spread out honours and points for a part level contract. In such a context, when a young aspiring bridge player makes a brilliant move in sheer timing and placing of the key card, it is exhilarating to review his brilliant play as on our illustration of today's declarer play in a part contract bid as under:
The full hands were as under: West rattled off with three rounds of diamonds, ruffed low by east and over ruffed with 7 of hearts by the declarer. To take the heart finesse, declare took his only entry in dummy with AC for a successful trump finesse by leading queen of hearts to the AK.
The second trump left the defenders trumpless. It was now time to take stock of how the declarer can manage his tricks. He has 5 trump winners and the AK of clubs. He is a trick short. If clubs break 3-3, the contract could make on KC and back a club with the defender end played with either playing the spade suit himself or giving a ruff and sluff. But if clubs were 4-2, east would return the club for declarer to ruff in hand, with the losing option of opening the spade suit himself with the spade honours certainly split between the two defenders. This would set the contract one down.
But bridge experts take all the little chances that they spot. Can you foresee which one? Yes, declarer led the of clubs from hand away from the king placing a defender with a doubleton honour and most certainly with west who was known to have 6 diamonds, 2 hearts. If out of remaining 5, he held 3 clubs - then even if declarer is forced to open spade suit with no entry in dummy for the winning club, he would find west with a doubleton spade honour end playing him again. With a doubleton club it would be the same story - end played! Bridge experts in play make it look so easy, which is easier said than done.
====================================
South North West East
====================================
J75 Q86 A32 K1094
AJ1097 Q52 86 K43
Q10 J84 AK9752 63
K93 A865 Q4 J1072
====================================
================================
West North East South
================================
- - P 1H
2D 2H P P
================================