The Duck by Larry Klimko lklimko@iswwest.com Experienced players know the ducking play well, declining to win a trick when you can win it. It is used in a number of situations - by declarer, usually in a notrump contract, to cut off the opponents' communication in that suit; also by declarer as well as by the defenders to maintain communication in a suit. It has other applications as well. And it can be a source of consternation. Sometimes a player ducks when he shouldn't, losing a trick that shouldn't be lost. The ducking play was used against me with good effect this past Thursday evening (4-27-06) at the Bridge Center illustrating a nice application of the play. Here's the hand (Board 12, rotated 180 degrees for convenience). North ----- 8 5 2 K Q 10 K 8 7 K Q 3 2 West East ---- ---- A 3 J 9 4 8 6 3 2 J 9 7 5 4 J 9 6 Q 10 5 10 9 7 4 6 5 South ----- K Q 10 7 6 A A 4 3 2 A J 8 The traveller 6NTN +6 1440 2@6SS +6 1430 2@5SS +6 680 4SS +6 680 7SS -1 -100 6SS -1 -100 My partner and I had no trouble reaching the slam, as did many pairs. (One pair even managed to bid the grand, missing the ace of trumps, which always makes for an amusing anecdote at cocktail parties.) At my table I got the club four lead. Now look at the hand from declarer's point of view. There are no worries in the side suits. There are ample extra winners in dummy to pitch the two diamond losers. The only problem is the trump suit. Who has the ace and who has the jack? Holding the ten, declarer can finesse for the jack or he can play East for the ace, leading toward his king and queen. The standard way to play this combination is to lead to the king. If that wins, declarer plays East for the ace, goes back to the board and leads another spade intending to play the queen if East plays low. If West takes the king with the ace, declarer's best chance is to go to the board and finesse for the jack. I won the club lead in dummy with the king and led a spade playing the king when East played low. West ducked the trick absolutely smoothly - without a thought. That convinced me that East held the ace. So, back to the queen of clubs on board (probably a diamond back would have been better) and another spade. When East played low again I put up the queen expecting to bring home the slam. Imagine my frustration when West won with the ace. The spade jack provided the defense with the setting trick. I had to share a bottom with that one imaginative pair that bid the grand. My only wish is that more players would learn how to duck. And it's worth noting the importance of West ducking smoothly. If West thinks about it, she gives away the fact that she holds the ace. Remember that bridge is not like poker. In poker it IS allowed to attempt to mislead your opponents by your mannerism. In bridge such action is illegal. So West must decide ahead of time that she will duck the spade king and thereby be ready for the play when it happens.