Tips from Barnet Shenkin: Do You Overruff?
This article is part of a regular series from Scottish internationalist and leading player Barnet Shenkin, exploring fascinating hands, practical techniques and advanced bridge thinking.
Each article breaks down real deals from competition play, offering insights designed to help improving players strengthen their judgement, declarer play and defence.
Do you overruff?
A couple of weeks ago, I set up an SOL teams match and accidentally allowed kibitzers in for a few boards. The following day I received a note from Gerry McCarthy, who had dropped in to watch while reading my old book Playing with the Bridge Legends (2001).
Gerry only learned bridge after retiring from work and has been improving both by playing and by watching stronger players. He mentioned the hand below as an interesting example.
Dealer: West | Vulnerability: None
♠ —
♥ KQ9632
♦ 43
♣ K10832
♠ KJ96
♥ 4
♦ Q875
♣ Q965
♠ Q108752
♥ AJ105
♦ KJ
♣ 4
♠ A43
♥ 87
♦ A10962
♣ AJ7
| Pass | 1♥ | 1♠ | 2♦ |
| 2N 1 | 3♣ | 4♠ | X 2 |
| Pass | 5♣ 3 | Pass | Pass |
| X 4 |
Using 2NT as an invitational major raise is now common amongst many expert partnerships.
South held three aces and no four-card fit for partner.
Harry Smith did not want to defend, and 4♠ doubled would have been close.
I knew partner Brian Spears held heart strength, so doubled despite holding little in clubs.
A spade was led. Declarer won the ace, pitching a diamond. A heart to the king and ace was followed by a second spade, ruffed in hand. Declarer then played the ♥Q, which West ruffed, before a third spade was ruffed by declarer.
At this stage, North and West each held three trumps. Declarer next led a low heart and ruffed with the ♣J.
If West overruffs, he is reduced to two trumps. Whatever the return, declarer can ruff another heart in dummy and later draw the remaining trumps for one down.
However, look what happens if West chooses not to overruff.
Declarer can now make all of his trumps in hand, while the ace in dummy becomes a ruff. That produces seven trump tricks, one spade and one diamond — for two down instead of one.
At the other table, North opened 2♥ and played there, making ten tricks.
Tip
When defending a contract, there are situations where it can be beneficial not to overruff.
First ensure that your trump trick is secure. Then, if you have length or strength in trumps, it may be better to preserve your holding with the aim of gaining greater control later in the hand.
This combines with the simple principle that overruffing immediately is not always the best way to maximise your trump tricks.
For example, imagine you hold A10x and declarer holds KQJ9x. Declarer ruffs partner’s winner with the jack. By discarding rather than overruffing, you preserve two eventual trump winners instead of one.
