M... of France, wrote to me:
Hello.
From declarer point of view, is it badly played to use the Excuse (fool) if defense plays in our
longest suit, whether declarer is last to play or not ? Can the excuse be used in all cases on the
longest suit? Is this a mistake to use it like that when we are the declarer ? Thank you.
My answer:
As usual for this type of questions, there are no absolute rules. The tarot (fortunately) is not
made with blind rules, or it would be too easy :-)
My answer is simple: it all depends on the type of hand you hold!
For exemple, with:
21-17-13-10-9-4-2-EXC
x-x-x-x-x
K-x-x
K-Q
-
If someone leads in your longest suit (x-x-x-x-x), playing the fool would be like to postulate
that the declarer will have no problem to extract all defensive trumps before the end and make a
trick later with this sixth card. But with 8 trumps, to gain the trump control is far from being sure.
Moreover, if the defender led from a suit containing six cards (meaning a distribution 6-2-1 or 6-3-0
in defense) you will just add a losing card in your hand by playing the fool.
Anyway, if this player really led from his longest suit, the defense will quickly swithes to trump
play (because the defense will not be afraid to play trump if a defender has a strong holding in your
longest suit) and there the play of the excuse will be more adapted to protect the 17, a rather vulnerable
tarot.
But with:
21-20-19-16-15-9-3-2-EXC
C-x-x-x-x
K-x-x
K
-
Here the situation is different. An opening lead in your longest suit (C-x-x-x-x) must worry you
for the future of your cavalier, which you could reasonably hope to make at the end of the deal,
when defensive trumps are eliminated. As there is no vulnerable tarot to protect, it is probably better
to play the excuse to lengthen the cavalier, wishing that the opening lead was made from a 5 card's
suit (of course if the lead comes from the bottom and that only small cards appear, you say thank
you and take the trick with the cavalier :-)
Let's imagine an extreme case, a hand where declarer will not be able to take control of trumps,
for example :
21-19-4-EX
x-x-x-x-x-x
K-Q-x-x
K-Q-x-x
-
Here, it's difficult to imagine a defense that will not play trump at one time or the other.
The Excuse must only serve to protect the 19 from an attack coming of an intermediate tarot, because
the 2 points that represents the trick of the 19 are likely to be very significant for the success
of the contract. By supposing that the K-Q's are not ruffed, this hand has 35 sure points: K-Q
(6+5), K-Q (6+5), 21 (6), EX (4) + the discard (3 points sure). The 6 missing points will come from possible
trump tricks. The declarer must absolutely keep the Excuse for trump play.
In short, there are no strict rules, it is necessary to weigh pro and con. However, a general
idea seems to emerge: with hands where gaining trump control seems a low or zero possibility, it is
often preferable to hold the excuse to play it later on trumps to lengthen or protect a vulnerable
tarot. Whereas with hands where trump control is likely, playing the excuse on the lead in
your longest suit appears more appealing.
Hope it helps!
Cordially.
Modified: 16/04/2023
All rights reserved. © 2002-2024 F. Constantineau
