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