End Plays

Sounds very advanced but it isn’t really.
Every Bridge player should learn to recognise these situations and take advantage.
The principle is simple.
You play the cards in such a way that at a crucial point in the play the defenders do the work for you.

Here is a simple example of an End Play.The contract is 4 ♠

North ♠ AQ98 ♥ A42 ♦ K5 ♣ AJ106

South ♠ KJ732 ♥ K5 ♦ 732 ♣ 732

Potentially you could lose two Diamonds and two Clubs if you are not careful.
You get a Heart lead, you win and take trumps in two rounds.
I know this isn’t difficult but it illustrates the principle.
You can make absolutely certain of the contract.
I hope you won the first Heart with the King- think at trick one!.
You now play the Heart Ace and ruff a Heart. Now a club to the Jack and if East wins he is helpless.
A Heart back gives a ruff and discard, a Club keeps the Club losers to one and a Diamond keeps the Diamond losers to one.
If West plays the King or Queen of Clubs you cover with the Ace and can now only lose one Club and Two Diamonds at most.


Back in the 1950’s Nico Gardener and Victor Mollo, two of the great players of that period published many books.
In their “Card Play Technique” they introduce the chapter on this subject with”Will you be good enough to cut your own throats“ which is in effect what you are going to make the defenders do.
This is their first example..The contract is 6 ♠

North ♠ AKxx ♥ KQX ♦ AJx ♣ Kxx

South ♠ xxxxx ♥ Axx ♦ K10x ♣ Ax

You win the Club lead and take two rounds of Spades leaving the Queen out. They comment that the contract is now safe,which isn’t strictly true. It is provided West hasnt the Queen of Spades and only two Clubs as they will overruff and lead a Heart leaving you to guess the Diamonds. If East were to ruff the third Club with the Queen of Spades you simply throw a Diamond and you are home.
The play is as follows: Cash the other top Club and ruff the third. Then cash the three Hearts. If one of them is ruffed with the Queen whoever has it must now lead a Diamond into the tenace or give a ruff and discard.
If the Hearts aren’t ruffed you now play a Spade and whoever has the Queen is in the same position.

Finally a classic situation.The contract is again 6 ♠

North ♠ AKxxx ♥ KQX ♦ Ax ♣ xxx

South ♠ Qxxxx ♥ Axx ♦ Kx ♣ AQ9

How are you going to guarantee that you don’t lose two Clubs.
More or less as you did above.Assuming you don’t get a Club lead of course;that would be too easy. Take out trumps and cash all the red suit winners taking care to finish in Dummy. Then you lead a Club and cover whatever East plays. Assuming West wins they are helpless. A Club back into either the AQ or A9 or a red suit to give a ruff and discard.

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