Endplay
In bridge, an endplay forces a defender to lead away from a disadvantageous holding. It is also known as a strip-and-endplay, elimination play, or "throw-in" play. The most common example involves a defender being forced to lead into a tenace:
| Dummy | ||||
 AQ | ||||
 2 | ||||
| West |  -- | East | ||
| 98 |  -- | K5 | ||
| 3 | A | |||
| -- | South | -- | ||
| -- | T4 | -- | ||
| 6 | ||||
| -- | ||||
| -- |
KExamples
| Dummy | ||||
| AQ94 | ||||
| 873 | ||||
| West | JT5 | East | ||
| 876 | A65 | KJ32 | ||
| 94 | KQJ652 | |||
| 64 | Declarer | 3 | ||
| Q98732 | T5 | JT | ||
| AT | ||||
| AKQ9872 | ||||
| K4 |
|
West Pass Pass All Pass |
North 2 4 |
East 1 Pass Pass |
South Dbl 3 6 |
9, won by South. Two rounds of diamonds draw the missing turmps.
Given East's opening bid, South should realize that the spade finesse will probably fail. The good news is that West's 9 suggests a doubleton, so East can possibly be thrown in with a heart later. Accordingly, South eliminates clubs by playing three rounds (ruffing the third in hand). After seeing East show out on the third round, South knows that East's original distribution was either 4-6-1-2 or 3-7-1-2.
Next, South rattles off his remaining trumps. On the last diamond, the situation is:
| Dummy | ||||
| AQ9 | ||||
| 8 | ||||
| West | -- | East | ||
| 876 | -- | KJ | ||
| 4 | KQ | |||
| -- | Declarer | -- | ||
| -- | T5 | -- | ||
| T | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| -- |
2, East discards the Q.TAn endplay can also force a defender to concede a ruff and sluff, as in the following hand.
| Dummy | ||||
| KQJ5 | ||||
| QJ2 | ||||
| West | AJ5 | East | ||
| 4 | T87 | 72 | ||
| 983 | AK76 | |||
| Q8743 | Declarer | KT96 | ||
| KJ62 | AT9863 | 543 | ||
| T54 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| AQ9 |
. West tries the lead of the 9.A| Dummy | ||||
| QJ5 | ||||
| -- | ||||
| West | -- | East | ||
| -- | T87 | 7 | ||
| -- | 6 | |||
| Q8 | Declarer | K | ||
| KJ62 | AT9 | 543 | ||
| -- | ||||
| -- | ||||
| AQ9 |
Q,TJ.Notable Quotes
Helen Sobel Smith, perhaps the greatest woman player ever, had this to say about her first endplay:
"I think that bridge really got into my blood a certain day in the thirties when a world-shattering incident occurred:
"I was declarer in a 6 contract, doubled by my right hand opponent. He had actually turned up with the QJT of trumps - I had cashed the ace and king - and I was disconsolately sure that he would turn up with the king of hearts, over dummy's ace-queen.
"Simply to delay the awful end as long as possible, I gathered in my tricks in diamonds; then (hoping my partner would not be too disagreeable about my slam bid), I was just about to take the necessary heart finesse when the Vision Appeared!
"I led a trump. East was 'in', and his forced heart return, to dummy's tenace, made me tingle with delight and self-appreciation.
"That, so far I was concerned was the Birth of the End Play (perhaps it's needless to say I hadn't been playing bridge very long)." 1
contract, doubled by my right hand opponent. He had actually turned up with the QJT of trumps - I had cashed the ace and king - and I was disconsolately sure that he would turn up with the king of hearts, over dummy's ace-queen.
"Simply to delay the awful end as long as possible, I gathered in my tricks in diamonds; then (hoping my partner would not be too disagreeable about my slam bid), I was just about to take the necessary heart finesse when the Vision Appeared!
"I led a trump. East was 'in', and his forced heart return, to dummy's tenace, made me tingle with delight and self-appreciation.
"That, so far I was concerned was the Birth of the End Play (perhaps it's needless to say I hadn't been playing bridge very long)." 1
External Articles
- Mike Lawrence. An Interesting Bidding Hand.
- Mike Lawrence. Play Too Fast Series - Article 10.
- Mike Lawrence. The World's Smallest Double Dummy Problem.