Lesson 2N Main

Planning the Play at Notrump

by Richard Pavlicek

As declarer it is very important to plan the play of the hand several tricks ahead. Playing a contract “one card at a time” will almost surely leave you lost in the end. This lesson pertains to notrump contracts though some of the strategy applies to suit contracts as well.

As soon as the dummy is exposed and before playing any card, you should plan how you will play the hand. I recommend these steps:

Count Your Top Tricks

In each suit determine the number of tricks you can win immediately without losing the lead. Add these up to reveal where you stand toward the goal of making your contract. Usually you will need to find additional tricks to succeed.

Look for Additional Tricks

Examine each suit to look for opportunities to win additional tricks. These may be in the form of honor cards or suit length that you may be able to develop in the play.

It is important to notice as many chances as you can so that each is considered in your plan.

I have a plan, pard! I’ll pose like this so they’ll think I’m crazy.

Develop a Plan

Decide which suit or suits you will work on to gain additional tricks. You also must decide how to play to the opening lead and how to play the suit you intend to work on.

Choosing the best plan on every hand is possible only through practice and experience. But you should always have a plan — even a poor plan is better than no plan at all.

Lesson 2N Main

Top Planning the Play at Notrump

Play to the First Trick

Every time you are declarer you will face the problem of playing to the opening lead, first from dummy and then from your hand. When a suit is led by a defender, declarer has a better chance to gain a trick than if he led the suit himself.

Try to take advantage of the enemy lead by choosing your play from dummy carefully.

1.	J 4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	6 5 2		1. W	3	J!	5	8
	Q 10 4 2		2. N	2!	6	J	K
	A Q J 8		3. W	Q	4	7	A
Q 10 6 3 2		9 7 5	4. S	3	5	10	A
K J 9 4		10 8	5. E	9	K	2	2
K 5		A 9 8 7 6		Cash 6 more winners
5 3		10 9 6
	A K 8
	A Q 7 3
	J 3
3 NT South	K 7 4 2

You count 2 spade tricks (A-K), 1 heart trick (ace) and 4 club tricks (A-K-Q-J) which accounts for 7 top tricks. Therefore you need 2 additional tricks to make your contract. There is an opportunity to gain an additional trick in spades, hearts (perhaps even two extra dependent on the lie of the cards) and diamonds.

Your first concern is the opening lead. The best chance is that West has led from the queen (very likely) so you should play dummy’s jack. It wins so now you have 8 tricks and need only 1 more. Note that you could not win the J if you had to lead the spade suit yourself.

Now you must choose between hearts and diamonds. By playing on hearts you will need to be lucky — either finding East with the K or the suit breaking 3-3. By working on diamonds you can always develop an additional trick because of the sequence of honors, Q-J-10. Clearly you should go after the sure thing rather than rely on luck.

After winning the J lead the 2 to your jack and West’s king. Win the spade return and lead the 3 to dummy’s 10 and East’s ace. The  Q in dummy is now established for your 9th trick.

Lesson 2N Main

Top Planning the Play at Notrump

The Holdup Play

When the opening lead is your weakest suit it is sometimes wise to refuse the first trick. The purpose of the holdup play is to break up the enemy communication so, if you later lose the lead, the defender will not be able to reach his partner.

When you have the ace and no other stopper, it is usually best to hold up until the third round.

2.	7 5		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	7 6 5		1. W	4	5	Q	6!
	K J 8 5		2. E	10	8!	J	7
	A Q J 10		3. W	K	5	2	A
K J 9 4 3		Q 10 2	4. S	6	4	Q	K
K 2		9 8 4 3	5. E	3	A!	2	6
10 9 4 2		7 6		Lose 1 more trick
5 4		K 8 3 2
	A 8 6
	A Q J 10
	A Q 3
3 NT South	9 7 6

You count 1 spade trick (ace), 1 heart trick (ace), 4 diamond tricks (A-K-Q-J) and 1 club trick (ace) which gives you 7 top tricks. Note that the Q-J-10 in hearts and clubs do not count as top tricks because the king is missing, but each of these suits offers a good chance for additional tricks.

In order to establish an additional trick in hearts or clubs you may have to lose the lead, after which the opponents might set you by running the entire spade suit. You should use the holdup play to increase your chances. Duck the first trick as East plays the Q, duck the next lead as well, then win the A on the third round.

You must decide whether to work on hearts or clubs. You expect that West holds the long spades (a defender normally leads his longest suit) so you want to keep West off lead. If you take the heart finesse and it loses, West will gain the lead; but if you take the club finesse it will lose to East — the safe opponent. Therefore you lead the 6 and finesse the 10 which East wins.

East will return a heart and you should hop with the ace. You do not need an extra heart trick to make your contract since you developed 2 additional tricks in clubs to go with your 7 top tricks.

Lesson 2N Main

Top Planning the Play at Notrump

© 1994 Richard Pavlicek