3. BLOCKING PLAY ============= This is employed to block a suit with one of the opponents to prevent its continuation. (1) NORTH S:Q10x 3NT by S: Lead low H H:Axx -------------------- D:Kxxx C:Kxx You have 1H, 2D and 3C= 6 winners and 3 -------------- must come from S. If If SK is with E, there WEST |||||||||||||| EAST is no problem. But if it is with W, E has S:Kxx |||||||||||||| S:xxx to be prevented from leading H, in case H:K10xxx|||||||||||||| H:Qx doubleton K or Qx. If you play low H from D:QJx |||||||||||||| D:10xx dummy, E gets the Q and plays back H and suit C:xx |||||||||||||| C:Jxxxx is cleared while W still has SK. Therefore -------------- hope for a doubleton honor with E and take SOUTH (D) HA. Now finesse S. Now W can play low H S:AJ9x but E is blocked. This play will lose only H:J9x if W had started with HKQxxx. D:Axx C:AQx (2) NORTH 5 C by S: Lead D S:KQ ---------------- H:xxxx W had doubled the opening bid of 1 C of S. D:Axx You have 2 D and 1S loser. W has SA. One C:Kxxx D can be discarded on SJ, but E-W will take -------------- 2 D and 1S. The only hope is for E to have WEST |||||||||||||| EAST a doubleton honor i.e. KQ, KJ or QJ in which S:Axx |||||||||||||| S:xxxxx case he is blocked. Therefore take DA, take H:KJxx |||||||||||||| H:Qxxx out trumps and give SA to W. Now E-W can take D:K9xxx |||||||||||||| D:QJ a D but not 2 D. C:x |||||||||||||| C:xx -------------- SOUTH (D) S:Jxx H:A D:10xx C:AQJxxx (3) NORTH 3 NT by S: Lead H2 S:QJ10xx ------------------ H:x E had opened the bidding by 1H. E takes HA D:Qxxx and backs a H. You know from the lead that C:Axx that HQ is with W. If you finesse with HJ -------------- W will take HQ and play back a H. E still WEST |||||||||||||| EAST has an entry in SA. Therefore, play HK. S:xxx |||||||||||||| S:Ax Now W is blocked. You can clear Ss and E-W H:Qx2 |||||||||||||| H:A10xxxx can take HQ but cannot run the suit. D:Jxxx |||||||||||||| D:xx C:Kxx |||||||||||||| C:QJx -------------- SOUTH (D) S:Kxx H:KJx D:AKx C:xxxxx (4) NORTH 3NT by S: Lead C6 S:J1098 ----------------- H:J1096 You ned 3 S tricks. If E has SK, you will D:Kx get atleast 3S, 3H, 2D and 1C. If W has 4C C:A72 i.e. E has 3 C, E-W will always get 3C, 1H -------------- and SK if it is with W. W does not have WEST |||||||||||||| EAST CKQ10, otherwise he would have led it. S:Kxx |||||||||||||| S:xxx Therefore C suit can be blocked if E has H:xxx |||||||||||||| H:Axx Q10. Therefore, take CA and play H. If W D:xx |||||||||||||| D:QJ10xx has HA, he can play back C to E's CQ and C:K986x |||||||||||||| C:Q10 must also have SK. If E has HA, he can play -------------- CQ and now W will cash the Cs on playing SOUTH (D) SK. You have therefore, after taking CA, S:AQx kill W's entry of SK an hope for E to hold H:KQx HA and E can only cash CQ. In the above hand D:Axxx if you play low C on t he lead, you will have C:J54 to duck C twice when E will switch to D and W on getting SK, will lead back a D, releasing D while E still holds HA. That is why taking CA is necessary to block the suit and finesse S to W, when CJ is still a stopper with you. This play will lose only if W has K10xxx and on CA, E unblocks by playing CQ or W started with CKQxxx (5) NORTH 3NT by S: Lead S S:Q10x ---------------- H:Axxxxx S had opened 1C (strong) and on N's 1H, E D:Qx had bid 1S. If you play low S from dummy, E C:Jx will put up 9 and when W gets lead in C, -------------- E will get 4S. But if you put SQ from dummy WEST |||||||||||||| EAST W is blocked. If E takes A, he cannot play S:xx |||||||||||||| S:AJ9xx back a S. If he ducks, SQ makes and SK H:J10 |||||||||||||| H:xx is second stopper. D:xxx |||||||||||||| D:AJxxx C:AT9xxx|||||||||||||| C:x -------------- SOUTH (D) S:Kxx H:KQx D:K109 C:KQ7x (6) NORTH 3NT by S: Lead S7 S:A9 ----------------- H:xxx W does not have SKQJ or he would have led D:xxxx K. Therefore, E has one honor. Any doubleton C:xxxx honor viz Kx, Qx, Jx will block E. If -------------- E has 3 carder S, W will only have 4 carder WEST |||||||||||||| EAST and E-W will then get only 3S and 1H. If you S:KJ87x |||||||||||||| S:Qx play low from dummy, E puts up his doubleton H:Axx |||||||||||||| H:xxx honor and continues, cleaning the five carder D:10xx |||||||||||||| D:QJ9x S suit of W. Therefore take SA and H. E is C:Jx |||||||||||||| C:10xxx now blocked with SQ. -------------- SOUTH (D) S:10xxx H:KQJ10 D:AK C:AKQ