Endplays

 

 

Definition

An endplay is a strategy used by declarer to force the opponents to break a new suit, or lead into a tenace, or give up a ruff-sluff. It is usually employed near the end of the hand, hence the name.

 

Simple example

Suppose in the diamond suit you have: AJ5 in dummy and K107 in hand. You could finesse for the Q either way. But if either opponent leads the suit you will win 3 tricks in the suit, no matter who holds the Q.  If you can execute an endplay, you will force the opponents to lead the suit for you.

 

Typical conditions for an endplay

1. You have relatively long trumps in both your hand and the dummy. This is needed so you can pull trump and still have at least one trump left in each hand.

2. There is a side suit (not trump) that will benefit by having an opponent break the suit. Let’s call this the “trouble” suit.

3. A second side suit can be eliminated in both declarer’s hand and dummy’s hand. This is the “elimination” suit. If you eliminate all your cards in this suit and an opponent leads it, you will get a ruff-sluff.

4. A third side suit that is equal in length in declarer’s and dummy’s hands. Typically, you will play your winners in this suit and use the last card (a loser) to put the opponents on lead for the endplay. This is the “throw-in” suit.

 

Technique for an endplay

1. Pull trumps. You do not want an opponent to have a trump left as a safe exit card.

2. In the “elimination” suit void both your hand and dummy’s of that suit. Sometimes it is sufficient to eliminate the suit in the hand of the opponent you will endplay.

3. In the “throw-in” suit cash your winners before you surrender the lead. This will force the opponents to break the “trouble” suit.

 

 

Example 1

Contract is 4♠ with South declarer

Opening lead is Q♥

 

 

Discussion

Note that we have plenty of trumps in each hand. We have three guaranteed losers: A♠, one heart, and one club. We must avoid a loser in diamonds, which is the “trouble” suit. The “elimination” suit is hearts. The “throw-in” suit is clubs.

You can either win the first trick or hold up one round. Then pull trumps. If you won the first trick, now surrender a heart trick. If you held up on the first trick you are now out of hearts in both hands. Play the ace and king of clubs, then surrender your last club. You have used your “throw-in” suit to put the opponents on lead in a losing situation. A heart or club from the opponents will give you a ruff-sluff, while a diamond lead solves your difficulties in the “trouble” suit.

 

 

Example 2

Contract is 5♣ with South declarer

Opening lead is 7♠

 

Discussion

Note that we have plenty of trumps in each hand. We have three possible losers: two in diamonds and one in hearts. The heart loser goes away if the opponents are forced to lead that suit. Win the A♠ perforce. Run trump, even if it takes two rounds, winning the last trump in dummy. Now ruff your last spade, cash A♦, and lead a diamond toward the queen. If the king is onside, you will only have one diamond loser. Assume the king is off-sides and takes your queen. West must continue diamonds or yield a ruff-sluff. This only delays the inevitable one card. After the third diamond, a lead of spades or diamonds by either opponent gives you a ruff-sluff, while a heart lead solves your problems in the “trouble” suit.

 

 

Example 3

Contract is 4♥ with South declarer

Opening lead is Q♠, which you duck, followed by J♠, which you win. Plan the play.

 

 

Discussion

We see immediately that the club suit is a problem. We have lost one spade, so must limit club losers to two.

Run trump. Then run the ace and king of diamonds and trump your last diamond. Now trump your last spade, completing the elimination phase of the hand. It is important that you play on diamonds first, and then spades, so you wind up in dummy now. Simply lead a low club and cover anything East plays. If East plays the jack or queen, cover with your king; your combined 9-10 will win the third club trick. West will win the first club trick, but is effectively endplayed.

 

 

Example 4

Contract is 4♠ with South declarer

East was dealer and opened 1♥. South bid 1♠, North raised to 2♠, and East doubled. South then bid 4♠.

Opening lead is 9♥. East wins with the queen, and then plays the ace and king of hearts.

 

 

 

Discussion

First, trump the third heart high, or you will get over-ruffed by West, who can have only two hearts. Now run trump. We have two heart losers and must therefore hold our diamond losers to one. The usual play of cashing the ace and then leading up to the queen is bound to fail since East both opened and then doubled North’s two spade bid.

Cash your king and ace of clubs in that order, and then lead dummy’s last heart. East, of course, will win. Instead of ruffing, discard a diamond. Now East is endplayed and must either yield a ruff-sluff or lead away from the king of diamonds.

 

 

Example 5

Contract is 4♠ with South declarer

Opening lead is K♥

 

 

Discussion

Clearly diamonds is the “trouble” suit. If we are forced to break the suit ourselves, we will likely lose all 3 tricks. Win the opening lead with the ace so we can save the 10 of hearts as our “throw-in” card. Run trump, clear the club suit, and then lead the 10 of hearts. Whichever defender wins must either break the diamond suit for us or yield a ruff-sluff.

 

 

Example 6

Contract is 5♦ with South declarer

Opening lead is Q♥, followed by the J♥

 

 

Discussion

Note that we have plenty of trumps in each hand. We have three possible losers: one each in spades, hearts, and clubs. Ruff the second heart. Run trump, ending in dummy, and ruff dummy’s last heart (the “elimination” suit). Now run your ace and king of clubs and lead the third club.

If West wins, he will have to either break the spade suit or yield a ruff-sluff by leading hearts or clubs. You will sluff a spade from dummy and trump in your hand.

If East wins the third club, you will have to fall back on finessing East for the queen of spades.

 

 

Example 7

Contract is 4♠ with South declarer

Opening lead is Q♥, which you do not cover, followed by J♥

 

 

Discussion

Clearly diamonds is the “trouble” suit. We will lose one heart, so must limit our diamond losers to two. To do this, we need East to break the diamond suit. Since the opening lead marks East with the ace of hearts, we can force him to gain the lead later. For now, trump the second heart, run your ace of clubs, trump a club, run trumps, trump your third heart, and then trump your last club. Now lead the king of hearts. East must win but is now endplayed. He must either yield a ruff-sluff or lead diamonds.

 

 

Example 8

Contract is 4♠ with South declarer

Opening lead is J♥, won by East with the ace. East then leads the four of spades. You rise with the ace, and West follows with a low spade. Obviously, the king is still out, undoubtedly in the West hand since East would not have underled it.

 

 

Discussion

We have already lost a heart trick and will lose the king of spades, so we need to hold club losers to one. Use the king and queen of hearts to discard two diamonds in dummy, cash the diamond ace, and then lead a spade. West will win, but must either yield a ruff-sluff or lead clubs, guaranteeing only one club loser.