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How many trump tricks do i need?

When planning a trump contract, count up the number of sure tricks you have outside the trump suit. Provided you have no possibilities of extra tricks in those suits, you can calculate the number of trump tricks you need in order to fulfill your contract.

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South Deals
N-S Vul
K 9 5 3
J 6 5 2
K Q 10 4
4
8 7 6 2
K Q 10 9
3 2
K J 9
 
N
W   E
S
 
8 7 4
9 8 7 6 5
Q 10 5 3 2
 
A Q J 10 4
A 3
A J
A 8 7 6

West North East South
      1 
Pass 4 1 Pass 4 N
Pass 5  Pass 7 
Pass Pass Pass  
  1. Splinter (slightly light - but has 7 losing tricks)
Lead:  K
7 ♠ by South

After South opened a 1♠ North skimpily splintered 4 ♣ South used the Roman Keycard Blackwood convention, found South held all  - a 5 reply to 4NT shows either 1 or 4 of the five "Aces" (with the King of trumps promoted to an ace)  - and “punted” the Grand Slam. How should South plan the play on K lead from West?

South took stock before playing from dummy - admirable technique - and counted one trick, four tricks and one ♣; with no chance of any extra tricks in those suits, he thus needed seven tricks from trumps; that meant trumping two ♣s in dummy.

He won A, cashed ♣A and trumped ♣6 with ♠9. He crossed to ♠10, East discarding a , and trumped ♣7 with ♠K. He led ♠3 to ♠J, drew West’s two remaining trumps discarding two s from dummy, cashed A, overtook J with Q, and cashed K and 10 discarding 3 and ♣8 from his hand. He took the last trick, his thirteenth, with ♠4. Grand Slam made.

ANDREW’S TIP: By counting your sure tricks outside trumps, you can plan how many trump tricks are required for your contract.

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