So many missed endplays with 3 cards remaining

[neilkaz]

I've always been shocked at how many endplays are missed when there's only 3 cards remaining both online and even in face to face play. As a result declarer loses a trick and sometimes the contract.

 

Here's one missed by my pickup partner from the Sunday Swiss, that cost us a few imps.

 

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♥ were trumps and East was dummy (me). There were no more minor suit cards remaining. Declarer scowled earlier when it was clear that trumps split 4-1 and certainly was aware of the trump loser. As dummy I'd expected her to play the 7♥ and then claim when South played a ♠, but she played A♠ and then South claimed and told her that she'd missed the endplay resulting in a confused look on her face. I've seen self rated W/C players miss similar 3 card endplays online. Perhaps they aren't concentrating or can't be bothered to count online or perhaps they aren't W/C.

 

Here's a very basic trump endplay missed by a declarer yesterday when I was kibbing. He was South and had bid too high in ♦ and was doubled and East had opened 1♦ so it was obvious where all the missing trumps were.

 

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All South has to do is to play a low ♦ and then claim two tricks, but he cashed his ace and then east claimed.

 

Many N/B can improve their declarer play by becoming more aware of basic endplays.

[chasetb]

Neil, novices and beginners aren't really capable of seeing basic endplays. I'm not trying to be rude, it's just that most times these people are trying to count winners/losers, count trump, remember to take finesses, set up tricks, etc. Until recently I haven't been able to fully recognize most endplays, and that's only come about because of my study of squeeze play and defense.

 

It doesn't come naturally to most people, if any when first playing bridge, that sometimes you need to duck a trick in order to protect or gain tricks. An example is in 3NT, with a suit AKQxxx opposite xx and no other entries to the long suit, to duck the first trick in the suit to protect against xxxx in either hand.

[neilkaz]

My first hand posted can be quite scary for players since they fear that they may have misscounted the other suit cards and if so, the opps could cash two more tricks. In the actual play of this hand, declarer had cashed the 13th ♦ winning the previous trick, and ♣ had split 4333 with the defender with 4 pitching one a couple turns prior (this is considerably harder for newer players to see and process).

 

The 2nd hand is much easier since all that can win a trick are trumps. This type of endplay in trumps when they've split poorly does occur. The idea is to force the opps to lead into your tenace on the 2nd to last trick, rather than you leading into their tenace. Of course, this endplay can also get you a free finesse when you can't get to dummy.

 

Here's another common 3 card trump endplay, again sometimes missed in BBO Advanced+ games from my experience. ♠ are trump and once again, declarer has to deal with a 4-1 split and he knows that they're 4-1 since west showed out on the 2nd rd. He also should know that his 10♦ is a loser since the J failed to fall. Newer players can't count everything right away, but as a priority, keep track of trumps and try to be sure what the top card left is in a suit.

 

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If declarer plays the 10♦ no matter which opp wins the J he has to lead and declarer's tenace in trumps takes the last two tricks. If East doesn't have a ♦ and ruffs, declarer hasn't lost anything since he ruffs the return low and still takes two trump tricks safely since he knows east has the remaining trump. If declarer has lost track of the J♦ and the 10 is actually good, he still hasn't lost anything by playing it since if he plays a trump he loses 1 trick as well. Some of these endplays can be attempted safely by declarers who may be unsure of what remains in the off suits as long as they keep track of trump.

 

And, IMHO, if I'd posted these simple hands in the I/A forum, I'd have been blasted with "wrong forum" replies.

[Quantumcat]

To do this sort of thing, you need to be counting exactly what their hand is and what they have thrown away. Beginners don't count hands. They are busy trying to remember third-hand-high and to return partner's suit, or figure out how many trumps are outstanding if they are declaring.

The positions are very simple when drawn on paper, but it takes practice to keep hands in your head, updating them as you go, and beginner's minds simply aren't trained for it. Your mind probably is, and you have trouble appreciating what it was like when you used to be a beginner. Now, assuming you're not a chess player, how would you like it if someone rattled off chess notation and looked scornfully at you when you didn't immediately respond with the answer that checkmates your opponent? You would be spending ten minutes just trying to figure out where the pieces were in your head, forgetting some as you went, before you even began trying to figure out the checkmate move.

I'm sure if you gave them those diagrams and told them they need two out of three tricks, they would come up with the answer within 20 seconds or so. Same as if the chess guy placed the pieces on the board and told you to find the checkmate move.