East and West did not defend well. After the initial club lead, what is the way to beat the nil, and what are the clues, if any, that point the defense in the right direction? Submit your comments to: You Be the Judge

The Public Responds:

Many correspondents sent in lengthy analyses.
So many details! Fine job, folks, and we regret not having the space to print your replies in their entirety. We've selected your most valuable statements for this discussion.

Now for our first case. We asked our judges first how the nil could be set. What is the correct strategy?

Purple Cow: It is clear that the key to setting the nil is for the defenders not to allow a spade break, and force South to set his own nil in diamonds.

Dustin: This deal is a perfect example for a type of defense that I simply call "keeping the cover in the lead." When the cover hand has a strong bid and doesn't show up with any early side-suit winners, it is very critical to NOT allow spades to be opened. You are hoping that the cover has at least ONE weak suit and will be forced to lead it.

Winger: Strategy: Trap South into the lead, avoiding a break like poison.

Phlexicon: The play is a classic example of end-playing the cover, forcing him to set his own partner.

Correct. And what are the clues, if any?

Winger: Bidding is the first and best clue: A 10-bid points to missing honors in North's hand and probably very few spades, since South bid 5 and E/W each can see a top spade. Here's hoping that South has too many spades and too few side honors.

Brandon: Since South bid 5 and East and West each have Aces and Kings but not an abundance of spades, South probably has a lot of spades and the nil will not be set in that suit.

Phlexicon: The key is for E/W to envision South's hand and the predicament.

USA_Justice: Usually with a 10-bid total and the nil cover showing strong, there is one strategy that will set the nil more than any other. But, it takes discipline. You must ignore your bid early, get out of the lead and let South lead until he's forced to lead the setting card. The key is to not break trump. If you have to take a trick along the way, do so, then lead a suit your pard is out of, or one that you think South has the best chance of not cutting.

Quite right. The panel covered this case quite well. One more consideration: once we work out the best line of defense, how likely are we to succeed?

Purple Cow: The problem is that success or failure depends largely on luck, and since this method usually involves sacrificing a few tricks, the defenders are putting their own bid in more jeopardy than need be, taking what essentially is a gamble that their plan will come to fruition. For instance, simply switch North's 2 with East's 8, and the nil now cannot be defeated in this manner.

This is true of all nil defenses. The cards must be right, and you will not know until the finish. You may have to sacrifice your own bid to sink the nil, sometimes even losing your bid in what proves to be a futile effort. But if the defenders get off to a good start, as in this case, it must be correct to follow through.

Winger: The first two rounds work out surprisingly well, with E/W each taking a trick, spades intact, and North not actually holding a singleton 8. But East's 3 is totally hopeless (p gnashes teeth). Didn't that 9 ring any alarms? And what was East fishing for anyway?

Brandon: East must not lead a third club, it will let North chuck a card in another suit. Playing the the 3 on the 3rd round of clubs may cost south a low spade to trump just in case, and that weakens his spades if the defenders want to set him. With a 10-bid that doesn't seem that likely.

USA_Justice: If you set your own bid by doing this it's not the end of the world. Once the Nil is set, then the hand is a draw, except N/S will have accumulated far more bags. If you attempt to make your bid first here, South will break trumps and the Nil is safe. Setting is far better than the advantage they will gain if they make the nil (over 100 points). There is, of course, the chance that South has a solid cover hand and this tactic doesn't work. It's nice having the advantage of looking at all four hands.

Amen. And so, we place full blame on East. A switch to either hearts or diamonds at Trick 3 gives the defenders a fighting chance. In the actual game, West never had a chance to show his stuff, so he is acquitted. The court gleefully sentences East to two weeks of play at a Spades site that permits Blind Nil bids. Next case.

So far, so good. North/South need one more winner, while East/West need four more. Since this is an 11-bid, there will be two bags on this deal. Below are the remaining cards, with South on lead.

North/South have been set but East/West have collected three bags, which they could ill afford. What is your opinion of South's spade lead at Trick 7, and how do you rate East/West's play at the finish that brought them the three bags? Submit your comments to: You Be the Judge

The Public Responds:

Our final case proved trickier than it seems at first glance because it operates at several levels. First let's have a look at how it appears on the surface. Did South blow it with the spade lead at Trick 7?

Winger: This seems like it should be one of those slogging routine hands (yawn) where everybody makes bid and splits the bags. Then, unexpectedly South commits suicide with the 7 because he either can't track even the Q (much less count) or is blotto at the wheel.

Brandon: The lead of the 7 on round 7 was a big mistake. Instead lead the diamonds. They are all high. If the opponents trump then South has two spades to their one.

Dustin: South's 7 lead at Trick 7 was a huge error in all respects. First, North can't possibly hold the missing queen of spades -- he only bid 1 and already showed the ace of hearts. Secondly, even if North somehow miraculously shows up with the queen of spades, it is unnecessary at this point to pull West's remaining spade. A simple diamond lead from South will weaken West's spades.

Yes, South can ensure his team's bid by leading a diamond at Trick 7. But this is puzzling. Why did South commit hari-kiri? South played competently up to this point. Is there any explanation for his supposed lapse? We have to look deeper. Let's check with some of our heavy hitters.

Phlexicon: South's play of the 7 was well-reasoned: If the spades split, South has the set!

Purple Cow: In most cases I would immediately convict South for risking suicide by leading the spade, but not here. Why? Look at the score! N/S are losing by 60 points and if everyone makes here, N/S fall another 10 points behind, 466 to 395 with 2 bags to be distributed. Next hand they will need a nil or an 10-for-2 to have a chance realistically. But if South gets the set, now his side is winning 398 to 346!

Is this what South really had in mind? There's always room in Spades for a difference of opinion. Winger suggested South might deliberately be trying to bag E/W. But our mathematical friend Phlexicon sent a page of calculations showing N/S's odds of winning the game are rather dim regardless of whether they bag E/W (accepting their own set) or when they simply make their bid. No, the best hope for North-South is to go for the E/W set. We agree with:

Purple Cow: Well, at Trick 7 South took a gamble and lost.

Yes, that seems to be the case. South is our sort of player. Finally, let's consider E/W's play. Should they have set N/S, knowing it would cost them three bags?

Brandon: As for East-West getting 3 bags, SO WHAT! They **SET** the opponents. They netted 60 and the opponents lost 50. Had E/W taken 0 bags the opponents would have gained 50. Thats a 100-point swing. Better to set and take the bags.

Purple Cow: As for E/W's play...always play for the set. If they allow N/S to make....466 to 405, but they accept the risk of a miracle on the last hand that may allow N/S to squeak away. After the set, the score is now 469 to 295. [After the next hand] E/W will still enjoy a comfortable lead, something along the lines of 411 to 338. E/W's bag problems are behind them, and now N/S must cope not only with playing catch-up, but avoiding bags themselves, a tall order indeed.

Dustin: West did a nice job at the finish.

All testimony is in, and the court rules there was a high standard of play all around. The court dismisses all charges and adjourns for the week. Before he gets away, however, South is respectfully invited to partner us in the next upcoming tournament.

All members of the public are invited to submit their comment's in this week's You Be the Judge.