Blocking Play

Defenders plays which destroy an entry declarer needs to run a long suit are called blocking plays.  Occasionally a trick must be sacrificed to carry them out:

                          Jx

                          AJT

                          QJxxxx

                          xx

Txx                                        K9xx

97542                                   KQ3

x                                            KTx

Qxxx                                     JTx

                          AQxx

                          86

                          Axx

                          AKxx

Against South's 3NT contract, west leads the 4 East winning the Queen.  East can see if the diamonds are running declarer will surely make, so he returns a heart, sacrificing a trick, in order to kill the entry.  If declarer plays the Queen from the dummy, east must play low, and now the dummy is dead.  The best declarer can do is come to 8 tricks.

Compiled by Lorne Russell 2005