Coaching Session - Spondon - 18th October, 2010.

The 8 example Boards are based on hands in CPT

Card Play Technique by
Nico Gardner and Victor Mollo
First published in 1955 by B.T.Batsford, London

It currently seems to be out of print. However, there are a few used copies available on Amazon for about £20.

There are several other sources pointed at by Google.

This book is compulsory reading for all ambitious bridge players, whatever standard.
Although I have been playing the game for about 60 years, I still have CPT at my bedside and remind myself of its principles whenever I've made an idiot of myself at the table.

The 8 boards are all Play orientated. This is not accidental. Unless you understand how to play the hands, you can't defend properly, since you have to imagine what declarer is trying to do before you can work out how to thwart him. It also affects how you bid, since there isn't much point in bidding games if you can't play the cards well enough to make them. As you become more skilful in playing the cards, you will become more ambitious in bidding games and therefore winning more often.

Board 1.	Q J 10 9 5 9 4 10 8 6 A 7 2
K 6 4 K J 10 8 2 K 5 Q J 9		A 8 3 Q 7 3 Q J 7 4 K 8 3
North Dlr None Vul	7 2 A 6 5 A 9 3 2 10 6 5 4

Based on CPT, Page 56.

Feasible bidding for Intermediate Players:

North	East	South	West
Pass	1NT	Pass	3H
Pass	4H	Pass	Pass
Pass	-	-	-

Final Contract 4 Hearts by West, Opening Lead Queen Spades.

Play Notes:

* 10 Tricks are required and nominally available via 2 Spades, 4 Hearts, 2 Diamonds and 2 Clubs.
* However, you have to knock out 3 Aces before you can get at them all.
* Meanwhile the defenders will be attempting to get a spade trick by playing two rounds before you can discard your loser on the long diamond.
* Usually it is correct to draw defenders' trumps quickly to avoid them ruffing your side-suit winners.
* But this time, you must play on Diamonds before playing on trumps.
* Also, you must take care to play the King of diamonds first, or else the suit will be 'blocked'.
* And again, you should have won the first Spade trick with King, not the Ace, so that you retain an entry with the AS, to later get at the 3rd Diamond winner to discard the losing spade.
* By taking this approach, you retain 'TRUMP CONTROL', stopping the opposition from running their spade tricks, which might have happened if the contract had been 3NT.

Bidding Notes:

* To make 'game' in 4 Spades or 4 Hearts, 10 tricks must be made against only 9 for 3NT.
* It is tempting to contract for only 9 instead of 10, but as in this case, it can be better to retain control by playing in the major suit
* Bidding theory suggests that if you have a known 8 card fit in a major suit, then you should play in 4H or 4S rather than in 3NT.
* This is why it is correct for West to show his 5 card major suit over his partner's 1NT.
* Also, the 1NT opener should bid 4H over 3H, even though he is balanced, since he knows that his partner must have a shortage somewhere if he has 5 Hearts.
* Of course, he would have bid 3NT with only 2 Hearts.
* If you haven't got the Stayman convention under your belt, get your coach to explain it so that you can reach 4-4 major suit fits.

Board 2.	8 4 2 10 J 10 9 8 6 J 10 7 3
9 6 A K Q 5 4 2 7 5 9 8 5		A K Q J 10 7 7 6 A Q 4 A Q
East    Dlr N-S   Vul	5 3 J 9 8 3 K 3 2 K 6 4 2

Based on CPT, Page 64.

Feasible  bidding for Intermediate Players:

North	East	South	West
-	2C	Pass	2H
Pass	3S	Pass	4H
Pass	4NT	Pass	5D
Pass	5NT	Pass	6D
Pass	6S	Pass	Pass
Pass	-	-	-

Final Contract 6 Spades by East, Opening Lead 3 Spades. 

Play Notes:

* With a 'normal' 3-2 heart break, there are '14' tricks available: 6 Spades, 6 Hearts and 2 Aces.
* If playing rubber bridge or at teams, overtricks are not important, so now is the time for a bit of 'safety play'.
* The hearts will break 3-2 about 68% of the time,  or 4-1 about 28%.
* To cope with both, then draw trumps and duck a heart!! Now you will make 6S 96% of the time.

Bidding Notes:

* With his wonderful spade suit, East will surely want to bid game - hence the forcing to game 2C bid.
* West bids a 'positive' 2H.
* East has a choice of bids now. 2S would be forcing, waiting to get more information from West.
* but there is a case for jump bidding to 3S to show a 'solid' suit and setting trumps.
* West can now rebid his hearts to show a good single suited hand.
* East checks for Aces and Kings and settles for 6S with two Kings 'missing'

Board 3.	A K Q J 4 K 8 3 8 6 A J 7
9 6 A Q 5 4 2 Q 10 Q 10 9 5		8 5 3 10 7 6 K J 4 K 8 3 2
South  Dlr E-W   Vul	10 7 2 J 9 A 9 7 5 3 2 6 4

Based on CPT, Page 64.

Feasible bidding for Intermediate Players:

North	East	South	West
-	-	Pass	Pass
1S	Pass	2S	Pass
4S	Pass	Pass	Pass

Final Contract 4 Spades by North, Opening Lead 7 Hearts.
West wins the AH and switches to the 6 Spades.

Play Notes:

* On the face of it, declarer could ruff his losing heart in dummy, give up a club and ruff his losing club in dummy.
* However, if he tries that, the the defenders will play another trump when they get in with a club, preventing the club ruff.
* So declarer has to look for another way - and dummy's long diamond suit provides the solution.
* If the diamonds break 3-2 as normal, declarer can duck a diamond
* and when he next gets in, wins the AD and ruffs one with a high trump, draws the rest of the trumps, finishing in dummy to collect the now established diamonds. 

Bidding Notes:

* Some brave souls might open the West hand with 1H, but the vulnerability is wrong for this and risks a big penalty.
* South needs 9 or more points to bid 2 Diamonds over 1S. He has a choice of Pass, 1NT or 2S.
* With his 2 doubletons both possibilities for ruffs in the short hand, 2S is the best bid. It also makes it more difficult for EW to protect later. 

Board 4.	A 9 6 8 4 A K Q 6 K 9 5 3
J 8 K Q J 7 5 8 3 2 Q 8 7		Q 10 3 2 10 6 2 J 10 9 4 10 2
West   Dlr Both   Vul	K 7 5 4 A 9 3 7 5 A J 6 4

Based on CPT, Page 91.

Feasible bidding for Intermediate Players:

North	East	South	West
-	-	-	Pass
1D	Pass	1S	Pass
2C	Pass	3NT	Pass
Pass	Pass	-	-

Final Contract 3 NT by South, Opening Lead King Hearts. 

Play Notes:

* Naturally, South holds up the hearts until the 3rd round.
* With only 8 tricks, the best place to get a ninth is in the club suit.
* It is tempting to finesse the J Clubs, but the problem with that is that if West wins, he is likely to cash another 2 heart tricks.
* The solution is to try to duck a club into the East hand.
* So cash the Ace of Clubs and play a low card towards the 9 in dummy.
* As the cards lie, playing the Jack of clubs would catch the 10 for an overtrick.
* But that would lose out if West was void.

Bidding Notes:

* If playing a 12-14 NT, North bids his higher ranking 4 card suit with 1D.
* After South's natural response, North will bid his 2nd suit with 2C or even 3C.
* With his heart stop and values for game, South bids 3NT.

Board 5.	K Q J 10 8 Q J 6 Q 10 J 10 2
9 7 K 8 2 A 7 2 A Q 9 7 3		A 6 4 A 10 7 5 K 9 3 8 6 4
North   Dlr N-S     Vul	5 3 2 9 4 3 J 8 6 5 4  K 5

Based on CPT, Page 92.

Recommended bidding for Intermediate Players:

North	East	South	West
1S	Pass	Pass	X
Pass	3|H	Pass	3S
Pass	3NT	Pass	Pass
Pass	-	-	-

Final Contract 3 NT by East, Opening Lead 5 Spades. 

Play Notes:

* Naturally, South starts off leading his partners suit, East holding off until the 3rd round.
* Now, declarer must prevent North getting in for his Spades.
* He has to make 4 club tricks and tries the club finesse which as it happens succeeds.
* It is now tempting to play the Ace and then lose to the king.
* However, this doesn't work since East gets in with his Jack to cash his spades.
* The solution is to cross back to hand with say the King of Diamonds and lead a club.
* When South plays the King, declarer ducks and can cash his set up clubs later..
* A clever South might foresee what was going to happen and play the King when clubs are first played.
* Declarer must not instinctively win, but duck then as well.

Board 6.	K 7 2 Q J 10 9 6 7 3 J 10 2
10 8 6 A 8 2 Q 9 2 A K Q 3		A 4 7 5 4 3 A J 10 6 5 6 4
East   Dlr E-W  Vul	Q J 9 5 3 K K 8 4 9 8 7 5

Based on CPT, Page 96.

Recommended bidding for Intermediate Players:

North	East	South	West
-	Pass	Pass	1C
Pass	1D	Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	Pass	Pass
Pass	-	-	-

Final Contract 3 NT by West, Opening Lead Q Hearts.. 

Play Notes:

* Having learned about hold up plays, there is a great temptation for West to automatically duck the King of hearts.
* On this occasion it is not a good move, since the diamond finesse needs to be taken into South's hand.
* If he can return a heart, then North can have only 4 and the heart suit is no real danger.
* However, the spade suit is now a much greater danger.
* If South holds both the king of hearts and the king of diamonds and switches to a spade, 3NT will fail.

Bidding Notes

* West is too strong for a 12-14 1NT, so opens 1C and rebids 1NT to show 15-16.
* East now bids 3NT with his 10 Points (9 HCPs and an extra one for his nice 5 card suit).

Board 7.	Q 7 2 9 4 7 3 2 A J 10 9 8
9 6 3 Q 7 10 9 8 4 Q 7 5 4		J 10 8 5 J 10 3 2 6 5 6 3 2
South   Dlr Both    Vul	A K 4 A K 8 6 5 A K Q J K

Based on CPT, Page 135.

Feasible bidding for Intermediate Players:

North	East	South	West
-	-	2C	Pass
2D	Pass	2H	Pass
3C	Pass	3D	Pass
3H	Pass	6NT	Pass
Pass	Pass	-	-

Final Contract 6 NT by South, Opening Lead 10 Diamonds.. 

Play Notes:

* The problem with this hand is the lack of entries to dummy's clubs.
* However, there is a 'magic' solution: Play the King Clubs and overtake with the Ace.
* Now the Q Clubs can be knocked out with the Q Spades providing the entry for the others.

Bidding Notes

* This is a bidding nightmare for all standards of player.
* Congratulations to those who reached 6NT.

Board 8.	A K 9 7 K Q 4 A J 2 K 5 4
Q J 10 9 8 7 8 4 3 7 6 3 2		2 J 10 3 2 Q 9 7 6 Q J 10 9
West   Dlr None  Vul	8 6 5 4 3 A 6 5 K 10 5 A 8

Based on CPT, Page 236.

Reasonable bidding for Intermediate Players:

North	East	South	West
-	-	-	Pass
2NT	Pass	3H	Pass
4S	Pass	6S	Pass
Pass	Pass

Final Contract 6S by North, Opening Lead Q Clubs.. 

Play Notes:

* This is an introduction to a more advanced 'Strip and End-Play' type of hand.
* Declarer wins Ace of Clubs and tries to draw trumps by playing the AK spades, discovering the bad news.
* It is tempting to shrug shoulders and guess which way to finesse the diamond.
* However, declarer can make the opposition take the finesse for him by 'eliminating' the clubs and hearts and throwing West in with his winning trump to lead diamonds or give a ruff and discard.
* So after discovering the bad news, play King of clubs and ruff a club.
* Then play 3 rounds of winning hearts, then lead a spade for West to commit suicide.

Bidding Notes

* After North's 20-22 opening bid, South is not quite good enough to bid a slam directly.
* To explore a little, he shows 5 spades by transferring via 3H.
* With the super fit, North jumps to 4 Spades.
* Now South with his superb controls can reasonably go directly to 6S.