THE CROSSRUFF

This form of trump play is made when there is a 4-4 or 5-4 trump fit (occasionally 5-3) and each hand is short in a different suit.

There are two important features:

1. Cash your winners in side suits before embarking on the crossruff. If you don't do this, there is a danger that one defender (who cannot overruff) will discard your side suits and trump them later.

2. When planning the crossruff, count your winners (rather than normal losers at suit contracts). Sometimes you should count both ways.

Hand 1

North S6 HKJ8 D853  CAT8532

South SAQ94 HAQT75 DK976  Cvoid

Contract: 4HOpening Lead: C9

Analysis: The C9 lead (passive) suggests that the spade finesse won't succeed. Winners are two aces and five trumps which is only seven tricks. So we must separate the trumps and the only danger is an overruff.

The Play: Win the CA discarding a diamond. Trump a club with the H5. Cash the SA and ruff a spade with the H8. Next ruff a club with H7. If not overruffed you are home as the rest of the hearts cannot be overruffed. So you now make two aces, five trumps from your hand and three trumps from dummy. That totals ten tricks.

Hand 2:

North SKQ4 H5 DQ7432  CAQT3

South S862 HAKJ62  Dvoid  CKJ876

Contract: 5C   Lead:DT

Analysis: When dummy came down declarer saw a typical crossruff situation: lots of trumps in both hands and short suits in both hands. Side winners were the HAK and nine more tricks were needed. The problem is that five diamonds can be ruffed in hand but only three hearts in dummy. So a spade trick must be established.

The Play: After trumping the opening lead, South should lead a small spade towards dummy. East took the trick with the SA and returned a trump. The 6 held, and West showed out. Also East could not overruff dummy's CAQT. Declarer now cashed the HA and K discarding a small spade, and the cashed the SK. Now s/he got the crossruff rolling. Declarer took two hearts, one spade and eight trump tricks for a total of eleven.

There are no absolutes in bridge. Here is an exception:

Hand 3:

North S7 HKT752 DK43  C763

South SA62  HAQ643  D92  CAK5

Contract: 6H   Lead: SK

Analysis: There are ten tricks off the top and you have a typical crossruff situation. But you only need to ruff two spades in dummy and two diamonds in hand. Cashing side winners is too dangerous as you cannot risk a ruff.

The Play: Take the SA and with ten trumps you can afford to pull all the trumps (even if three are in one hand). Now you go ahead with your crossruff.

Hand 4:

North SA74 HJT87 D9  CKQ742

South S3  HAKQ965  DAQ42  C85

Contract: 6H   Lead: SK

Analysis: On hands that look like a crossruff, you first count your winners.

You have eight, plus one by establishing a club trick. You can pick up the extra three tricks by ruffing three diamonds in dummy. But you also need safe entries to your hand as well as establishing clubs and drawing trumps. Correct timing and order of play are vital. If you start off by trumping a spade then leading the DA and ruffing a diamond you will end up in dummy with no more spades to lead while you have diamonds in your hand to trump. And you don't want to use up a trump as an entry.

The Play: So don't start trumping spades first. Take the SA and lead a diamond to the A and start ruffing diamonds first. The play will go: SA, DA, D2 ruffed with the H7. ThenS4 ruffed with the H5, D4 ruffed by the H8, S7 ruffed with the H6 and the DQ ruffed by the HT. The crossruff is now completed. The HJ is overtaken with the HA and trumps are drawn. Now lose a club and you have twelve tricks.

Hand 5:

NorthSQJ85HK DA7542C732

South SAK96  HA7543  D3 CAK5

Contract: 6S   Lead:HQ

Analysis: The lead indicates length and there is a strong danger that a third heard trumped with the 5 could be overruffed. Can this be avoided?

The Play: Declarer won the first trick in dummy with the HK and went to hand with the CK. S/he then cashed the HA discarding a club. Next s/he cashed the DA and ruffed a diamond with the S6. S/he cashed the CA and ruffed a club with the S5. Now s/he is home as s/he can continue crossruffing. The only trick s/he can lose is the ST.

Hand 6:

North SQJ84 HK942 DAK63  C6

South SAT975  HT  DJ42  CAT84

Contract: 4S (West opened 1C)       Lead: CK

Analysis: West's opening bid marks him with most of the high cards. The HK seems to be a working card. So there are four top tricks and we need six more crossruffing tricks. The trouble is that West will have the SK and his spade return will leave you with only two trumps in dummy to ruff three losing clubs.

The Play: South took the CA and immediately led a heart. West rose with the HA and returned a heart. South discarded the D2. S/he now took the usual precaution of cashing the DA and K before anything bad happened. S/he now began the crossruff by trumping a heart with the S5 and a club with the S4. S/he trumped another heart with the S7 and another club with the S8. S/he then trumped a diamond with the S9, but was overruled by the SK. But now declarer had eleven tricks!

Hand 7:

North SA974 HAT53 DK8  CA74

South SK2  HKJ86  DA973  CKQ8

Contract: 6H   Lead: CJ

The Play: You should not even try to guess who has the HQ. Bang down the HA andHK. Then go about your business. Cash the clubs, cash the top spades and diamonds then crossruff. Let them have the HQ, as you can never take fewer than twelve tricks. Even if the HQ falls doubleton, you still need to ruff two spades and two diamonds.