Ruff & Sluff

When a defender leads a suit which allows declarer to trump (Ruff) the lead in one hand while discarding (Sluff) a loser from the other hand.  This is "usually" beneficial to declarer and the defense strives to prevent this from happening, unless:

               7                        W      N      E      S

               J65                                              1    

               JT875               P       P      1     X

               T742                 P       2    (all pass)

K542                   JT86

Q7                       KT932

Q943                   62

AK3                     Q6

               AQ93

               A84

               AK

               J985

West leads the Ace, King (picking up his partners Queen), and another trump South winning in hand.  A low heart to West's Queen, who exits the 7 to south's Ace.  South cashes the Ace and King then exits a heart to West.  What should he lead ?

In this situation, a Ruff & Sluff gains declarer nothing, as he is going to make his trumps separately anyways.  If East leads a spade, declarer will make the contract, the ruff sluff will lead to defeat.  Declarer discards a spade from hand and ruffs on the board.  But when West wins the King of spades he exits safely with the Queen.

Compiled by Lorne Russell 2005