Now be honest: if I hadn’t told you play a second heart; this stops

about the Rule of Eleven, I bet you would declarer making any heart tricks. CAPTION

have played your king at trick one!

Try these problems; in all cases the 2) Work out the Rule of Eleven. Take 5

COMPETITION

bidding has gone 1NT – 3NT. away from 11 and you get 6. You can

already see five cards higher than the

1) ™K 10 7 ™5, so declarer must have one higher

N

card. It has to be either the ™A or

™5 led W

S

E

™A J 8 2 ™Q. Should you play the ten of hearts

or the king? If declarer has the queen

™? of hearts it doesn’t matter, declarer

must win one heart trick. But it does

Your partner leads the ™5, declarer plays matter if declarer has the ace of

dummy’s ™7. Which card do you play? hearts. If you play your king of hearts

Why? declarer wins with the ace and must Morton speak with forked tongue!

make a second trick from dummy’s

THE winner of our August competition,

2) ™J 8 7 ™J-8 holding.

with the caption above, is Derek Turner,

So the answer is: play the ten. The

N of Toton, Notts, who will receive a

™5 led W E ™K 10 2 complete layout might be:

S charming Victoriana bridge mug from

our sponsors, Bridge and Golf Gifts

™? ™J 8 7 Direct (see page 7). Other good captions

N

(here and also on page 54) were: You

Partner leads the ™5, dummy plays the ™7. ™Q 9 6 5 3 W

S

E ™K 10 2 wouldn’t believe the problems we’ve had

Which card do you play? Why? with the arrow switch (Brian Gladman,

™A 4 Chessington); The vu-graph audience was

3) ™J 8 6 stunned by Running Bear's 5NT bid (Peter

3) Take 7 from 11 and you get 4. But you Hawkes, Radley); This intertent bridge will

N

™7 led W E ™K 10 can see four cards higher than the 7, never catch on (Glen Kirton, Hampton);

S

so declarer’s biggest possible heart is Do you think he has a match? (Barbara

™? the five. Play your king of hearts at Truswell, Falmouth); I think they play

trick one and return your ten of Fourth Suit Forcing (Dave Bryan, Upton,

Partner leads the ™7 and dummy plays hearts. But why not play the ten of Chester); I see Sitting Bull's playing online

either the ™6 or the ™8. Which card hearts immediately? You are confi- again! (Roger Brown, Sandown); Bridge

on Sky? It'll never catch on, Aquena

should you play, and why? dent partner must have started with

(Richard Buller, West Bridgford); What do

™A-Q-9-7 or better still ™A-Q-9-7-2.

you think of these new-fangled silent

My answers: Playing the ten of hearts will win

bidding devices? (Philip Jackson, Ascot);

trick one and when you then play the

and What a palaver for 1NT! (Frankie

1) Use the Rule of Eleven. 5 from 11 is 6. king of hearts it holds. Of course Subiotto, Selly Park).

You can see six cards higher than the partner should overtake your king of The cartoon for our new competition

five, so declarer can have none and hearts with the ace, but partners are is below. Please send your bridgy

must hold just ™4-3 and partner sometimes asleep; you are not and captions (multiple entries accepted) to

must have led from ™Q-9-6-5. You you can make sure partner wins trick the Editor, English Bridge, 23 Erleigh

should play the ™8, which will win two! Road, Reading RG1 5LR or by e-mail to

the trick! elena@ebu.co.uk not later than 20th

The full layout of the heart suit is: Declarer can also use the Rule of Eleven in October 2011. Don’t forget to include

exactly the same way as a defender to help your full postal address!

™K 10 7 decide which card to play from dummy on

the opening lead. Of course the Rule of

N

™Q 9 6 5 W E ™A J 8 2 Eleven only works if your opponents play

S

fourth highest leads. Some players use

™4 3 third and fifth highest leads and I have had

some irritating students who will lead any

Of course if declarer had played the small card from a suit, thinking that it

ten of hearts from dummy you would doesn’t matter which card is chosen. That

have played the jack. In either case may make life a bit harder for declarer, but

you need partner to gain the lead and it fools their partner as well. r

When you have finished reading this magazine,

Sponsored by Bridge

if you don’t want to keep it please recycle it. & Golf Gifts Direct

www.ebu.co.uk October 2011 English Bridge 13