Bols Bridge Tips: The Secret is in the Timing by Pedro Paulo Assumpçao (BRZ)

In most deals the declarer soon identifies the plays he must make for the contract, such as establishing a suit, knocking out an entry, and so forth.

But however good his reasoning, success may still elude him unless he makes these plays in precisely the right order. In bridge the secret is often in the timing. Whenever there is more than one step to be taken, you should take special care to select the best timing. Ask yourself whether the obvious sequence of play will in fact produce the required result. Whenever there is doubt, try the effect of change in the timing. Dealer: West East/West Vunerable

	A 7 4 7 5 4 K 6 A J 10 6 5
Q 3     Q J 10 8 6 A J 4  K 7 3		J 10 9 5 2 9 3 2 10 7 2 Q 4
	K 8 6 A K Q 9 8 5 3 9 8 2

The Auction:

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	Pass	Pass
Pass

Contract: 3NT Lead: Q

You are in 3NT and West leads Q. It is easy to see where the tricks must come from. You have only four tricks in the major suits, so must plan to take four club tricks and a trick in Diamond

Many players, however, would get the timing of this hand quite wrong. Would You?

Suppose you play clubs first, as may perhaps seen natural. In that case your last heart stopper is driven out and you never have time to make a diamond trick.

So, play a diamond at trick two! If West plays A you make four diamond tricks, enough for the contract; and if West ducks you come to hand with spade and attack clubs

The timing, you see, makes all the difference. “When more that one play is needed to make the contract, give special thought to the best sequence. The order may be no less important than the plays themselves”. Dealer: South North/South Vulnerable

	10 6 5 K 6 4 8 4 2 K 9 8 2
Q 9 4     J 10 8 Q J 5 3  Q 10 4		J 7 A 9 7 3 2 10 6 J 6 5 3
	A K 8 3 2 Q 5 A K 9 7 A 7

The Auction:

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	1NT	Pass	3
Pass	3	Pass	4
Pass	Pass	Pass

Contract: 4 Lead: J West leads the J and You win with the Q. You hope for a 3-2 trump break, but you may still need to look after the fourth diamond. You want to be able to ruff the last opponents to play three rounds of trumps and you must take care not to be overruffed by the hand that has only a doubleton spade. The question is, what is the best timing?

It would be a mistake to draw two rounds of trumps early on, and also a mistake to begin with three rounds of diamonds, allowing East to overruff dummy on the fourth round. The right sequence is to duck a diamond at trick two!. When you regain the lead you cash A and K of trumps and go on your way rejoicing, “Good timing is especially necessary when there is a danger of being shortened in trumps” Dealer: North; North/South Vulnerable

	A K 6 8 7 5 3 K 8 6 K 6 2
10 8 3     J 10 9 4 A J 4  Q J 4		9 2 A K 6 2 Q 10 7 5 3 10 3
	Q J 7 5 4 Q  9 2 A 9 8 7 5

The Auction:

West	North	East	South
	1	Pass	1
Pass	1NT	Pass	3
Pass	3	Pass	4
Pass	Pass	Pass

Contract: 4 Lead: J West leads the J, East wins with the K and follows with the A. You ruff and note that to make this optimistic contract you will need to draw trumps, establish the clubs, and build up a tenth trick with the K. You may be hopeful about the K after East has shown up with the A and the K, but you still have to find the best sequence. Suppose you draw trumps and give up a club. A heart comes back and you ruff your last trump. This way, you will never make a trick with the K, because West will keep, for his last two cards, A and a heart. The only correct play is to lead a diamond early on. west can do no better than win and return a heart. You ruff and play a low club from each hand. Now, if another heart comes back, you can afford to ruff for the third time, as you can draw trumps form dummy and cash the clubs. When more that one play is needed to make the contract, give special thought to the best sequence. The order may be no less important than the plays themselves”. “At no trump, to attack first the entries of the danger hand is a common stratagem, in a suit contract the play tends to be less obvious”

	Q 10 A 8 6 9 6 4 2 9 5 4 3
5     J 9 4 2 K 10 8 7 3  Q 10 6		A 6 4 3 Q 10 5 3 A Q 5 J 7
	K J 9 8 7 2 K 7  J A K 8 2

  South plays in 4after East has opened 1NT (13 a 15). The defence begins with a A followed by Q. In a heat of the Phillip Morris pairs, most of the South players rushed straight to their doom. They led a trump to the Q and A, ruffed the third diamond, and ran out of steam when they found the trumps 4/1. There was no time now to enjoy the fourth round of clubs At only one table did the declarer appreciate that West was likely to hold the long diamonds and was therefore the danger hand. His possible entry must be driven out first. The best sequence, after the second diamond has been ruffed, is A, heart to A, club to K, third round of clubs. West forces again, but when East comes in with the A he has no diamond to lead.