Using the BridgeComposer View→Next To Play Command
Complete information about BridgeComposer is available at
https://bridgecomposer.com.
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
West | North | East | South |
Pass | Pass | Pass | 1 NT |
Pass | 2 ♣ | Pass | 2 ♠ |
Pass | 3 NT | All pass | |
The auction seems reasonable, but can you make 3 NT?
First, use the BridgeComposer Board→Double Dummy command to find out.
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
NS 3N; NS 3♥; NS 3♣; NS 2♦; NS 1♠; Par +400
West | North | East | South |
Pass | Pass | Pass | 1 NT |
Pass | 2 ♣ | Pass | 2 ♠ |
Pass | 3 NT | All pass | |
The double-dummy makeable contracts (shown just below the diagram) indicate
that you can indeed make 3 NT against any defense, but how exactly would you go
about that?
The BridgeComposer View→Next To Play command will show you.
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
1. W | ♠ 8 | ? | | |
In BridgeComposer View→Next To Play mode:
• Cards that have already been played are grayed out (West's ♠ 8 above).
• The hand (or a suit in the hand) that is next to play is surrounded by a blue
rectangle (North's spade suit above).
• Cards that are "optimal plays" (that is, cards that when played will result
in winning the most tricks) are shown in green (North's ♠ J above).
(The Next To Play highlighting colors may be customized using the
BridgeComposer Edit→Options command, "Colors" tab.)
(Optimal plays are determined "as the cards lie" using the double dummy solver
included with BridgeComposer.)
I have also selected BridgeComposer View→Slide Highlighting. In this mode, the
cards played to the current trick are shown on the "card table" in the center
of the hand diagram, and the number of tricks won so far by each side is shown
at the bottom.
So, in BridgeComposer, you would play the ♠ J by clicking it (nice play!).
Then, East's spades will be highlighted.
(By the way, this web page was created with the help of the BridgeComposer
Board→Create Slides command.)
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
1. W | ♠ 8 | J | ? | |
All of East's spades are shown as optimal plays. This means that, for
double-dummy play, the outcome will be the same no matter which spade is
played.
Of course, in actual play, the card to be played should be selected with the
partnership's carding agreements in mind. If the agreement is to show
upside-down count in this situation, high from three is correct.
So, (in BridgeComposer) click the ♠ 6.
By the way, if you change your mind, you can back up using BridgeComposer
Edit→Undo.
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
1. W | ♠ 8 | J | 6 | ? |
A low spade from South is indicated. Click one (in BridgeComposer).
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
1. W | ♠ 8 | J | 6 | 2 |
2. N | ? | | | |
At trick two, the lead is in dummy. Leading a heart or a low diamond next is
indicated.
This time around, I chose to lead the ♦ 2.
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
1. W | ♠ 8 | J | 6 | 2 |
2. N | ♦ 2 | ? | | |
Again, East's choice does not affect the end result.
If East plays low, South can win the ♦ J. But if East splits his honors, South
will win the Ace, eventually return to dummy, and lead again toward the ♦ J.
East will then again have to decide whether to play low or high; either way,
the ♦ J will win a trick sooner or later.
This time, I chose to play the ♦ Q.
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
1. W | ♠ 8 | J | 6 | 2 |
2. N | ♦ 2 | Q | ? | |
Winning the ♦ A is optimal!
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
1. W | ♠ 8 | J | 6 | 2 |
2. N | ♦ 2 | Q | A | ? |
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
1. W | ♠ 8 | J | 6 | 2 |
2. N | ♦ 2 | Q | A | 6 |
3. S | ? | | | |
For trick three, the lead is in your hand.
View→Next To Play mode shows that either hearts or clubs should be played now
for the optimal result.
Continue (in BridgeComposer) by clicking optimal (green) cards throughout the
play, and you will arrive at the double-dummy result: nine tricks for 3 NT,
making.
Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul |
♠ | J | ♥ | K Q 7 5 | ♦ | 9 7 2 | ♣ | K J 9 8 7 |
|
♠ | A 10 9 8 7 | ♥ | 10 8 3 | ♦ | 10 6 | ♣ | A 10 2 |
| |
|
|
| ♠ | 6 5 4 | ♥ | 9 4 2 | ♦ | K Q 8 5 3 | ♣ | Q 4 |
|
|
|
♠ | K Q 3 2 | ♥ | A J 6 | ♦ | A J 4 | ♣ | 6 5 3 |
|
NS 3N; NS 3♥; NS 3♣; NS 2♦; NS 1♠; Par +400
West | North | East | South |
Pass | Pass | Pass | 1 NT |
Pass | 2 ♣ | Pass | 2 ♠ |
Pass | 3 NT | All pass | |
Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
1. W | ♠ 8 | J | 6 | 2 |
2. N | ♦ 2 | Q | A | 6 |
3. S | ♣ 3 | 2 | K | 4 |
4. N | ♥ 5 | 9 | A | 8 |
5. S | ♥ J | 3 | 7 | 2 |
6. S | ♥ 6 | 10 | Q | 4 |
7. N | ♥ K | ♦ 3 | ♣ 5 | ♣ 10 |
8. N | ♦ 7 | K | 4 | 10 |
9. E | ♠ 5 | Q | A | ♣ 7 |
10. W | ♣ A | 8 | Q | 6 |
11. W | ♠ 10 | ♣ 9 | 4 | K |
12. S | ♦ J | ♠ 7 | 9 | 5 |
13. S | ♠ 3 | 9 | ♣ J | ♦ 8 |
Now, if you like, you may use the BridgeComposer Board→Clear Play command to
start over. In this manner, you can explore alternate lines of play and
defense, and the effect of playing non-optimal cards.