spectro46 Posted January 16, 2022 Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 All my many attempts at winning the Bridge Master Level 1 A-30 Challenge have failed despite taking heed of the Solution given. Further hints on the strategy to take beyond the opening play would be much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerriman Posted January 17, 2022 Report Share Posted January 17, 2022 Other than just giving you the exact solution, there isn't really much to this problem other than what is stated in the provided solution. Perhaps you could outline what approaches you've been trying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HardVector Posted January 17, 2022 Report Share Posted January 17, 2022 This hand highlights the truism that entries are the lifeblood of bridge. You are in 3n with the dummy having 7 diamonds to the QJT, you have Axx. You are given a finesse at trick 1 holding AJ opposite Kxx in clubs. Your instinct is to not "waste" a trick and win it as cheap as possible with the J. The problem, however, is that if diamonds split 3-0, the person with Kxx can now keep you from getting to the dummy if you win the first trick with the J. By winning the first trick with the A, you can then drive out the K of diamonds, eventually get back in, then get to your nice, juicy diamonds with the K of clubs. These hands are designed so that the one and only goal is to make your contract, forget about overtricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AL78 Posted January 17, 2022 Report Share Posted January 17, 2022 Firstly, you need to win the opening lead with the ♣A. This guarentees communication with dummy and the long diamonds in case the defence have the ability to hold up until the third round (which they will if the diamonds are 3-0). Secondly, don't try to cross to dummy and finesse in diamonds. Just play the ace and keep playing on diamonds until the defence take their king. The defence cannot stop you making your contract, you will soon get in to cross to the ♣K and cash the rest of the diamonds, which brings you to nine tricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectro46 Posted January 17, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2022 Many thanks for the advice. I had appreciated the importance of winning the opening lead with the A♣ but only after reading the Solution given. Short-sightedly I did not apply the logic to the importance of playing the A♦ before the other diamonds. Repeatably leaving the A♦ as the last diamond I played as South I could not cash the dummy diamonds, of course - with hindsight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AL78 Posted January 17, 2022 Report Share Posted January 17, 2022 As you work through the deals and move onto more advanced levels, the theme of thinking about issues with blocked or potentially blocked suits, and what to do about them, comes up repeatedly, and they often require non-intuitive plays at trick one, which means you have to think through the play of the whole hand before you play from dummy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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