Once in a while a Bridge player is pitted against a combination of cards that would hardly give him any chance to wriggle out of the hopeless situation that the lie of the cards has created. It is in such situations that a player's skill and ability, vision and foresight are truly tested. Not even the best in the world come out of such situations unscathed. Many fall due to lack of foresight or taking the wrong view in judgment. But in Bridge what is required for success in such critical situations wherein the odds are stacked high against you and on the face of it seem almost impossible to succeed, is the temperament to maintain steady nerves and yet to be highly alert to the pitfalls awaiting.

Our illustration for today is taken from a hand played by one of the greatest women Bridge champion of all times - Rixi Markus in 1969. She landed in a contract of 6H on the following deal sitting south:

==========

North

==========

J 8 5

9 5 2

A K 10 8 4

A 8

==========

==========

South

==========

A K 9 7

A Q 10 8 3

-

K 10 9 5

==========

The bidding proceeded as under:-

=====================

E    S     W        N

=====================

P    1H    P       2D

P    2S    P       3C

P    4C    P       4H

P    4NT   P       5H

P    6H      All Pass

=====================

Although the hand fitted not too well and was even well short of the points required for a little slam with north having only 12 HCPs added to south's 16HCPs, it was worth a try. Moreover, south's hand was further devalued being void in partner's main suit which would not augur too well for the slam bid a bit ambitiously. In any case when 2D was led by west, south could only see multiple problems in almost every suit. Rixi's sure winners were 2 clubs with possibly a club ruff or two if lucky; 2 diamonds; 2 spades and a broken trump suit with the KJ missing. The 3 small trump support in hearts by partner was quite a depressing sight. For the slam to succeed, the KJ of diamonds needed to be either split or lies both in east's hand for the slam to have any chance of success.

Place yourself in the south seat and plan your little slam. If you fail to find the winning line you need not be crestfallen for in a wide arena of skilled competitors Rixi Marcus was the only one to make 6H. So if you find the winning line too you can stand tall and proud. The hand is not too complex if one has the vision and foresight to anticipate the possible obstacles and then get the timing right to overcome them. A lot of alternates present themselves at the outset. One can discard the 2 spades from hand on the hand on the AK of diamonds and then try ruffing the clubs and finally taking the heart finesse for lucky break. The Question of anguish would still be: How to place the heart honours? The fact that every other declarer apart from Rixi Marcus failed clearly indicates that the heart honours were stacked against the finesse lying with west who held.

=======

10 4 2

K J 4

Q 9 5 2

J 4 3

=======

Of course it is standard play that when the lead of deuce comes from a side suit, the chances of an over ruff by the enemy become quite slender leading to a plan of cashing winners combined with cross ruffs, to acquire maximum number of tricks. Following this plan, did you as south come up to Rixi's standard of play and class? If not, here's how Rixi played the hand in her own brilliant way, not touching upon the trump suit for any finesse. On trick one, she ruffed the diamond in hand, cashed the AK of spades, crossed to the AC in dummy and discarded 2 spades on the top diamonds. Ruffing the fourth round of diamonds successfully she now cashed the KC and ruffed a club in dummy to reach the following position of the hand with 9 tricks already secured.

===============================

North    West     East    South

===============================

J        10       Q           -

9 2      K J 4    7 6    A Q 10

10       -        -           -

-        -        Q          10

===============================

On the 10th trick, she ruffed the JS with the 10H. West was now left with K J 4 of trumps and there was no way we could avoid the end play awaiting him when Rixi led the 10C from hand. Those who banked on finesses in hearts were unable to ruff both clubs in dummy and therefore they failed while Rixi succeeded showing a class of her own.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019