Blum on Bridge Control Yourself Part I
	It's the fourth quarter with two minutes to play. Miami has the ball, first down, leading 14-3. What do they do? Why they run the ball, of course, to take time off of the clock. The Bulls steal the basketball after Michael Jordan scores. Leading by five with 30 seconds to play, what is the game plan? They pass the ball back and forth to use up time, not letting their opponents regain possession. In both of the above scenarios the team in the lead has control of the game. It is not a lot different than what the declarer attempts to accomplish when playing a bridge hand. As long as he keeps the defenders from obtaining the lead, he is in control of the outcome. Now let us put this to the test. To begin, I'm not in love with the word "honors" for aces, kings and queens. I'd much rather refer to them as either controls or stoppers because that is what they really are. In a no-trump contract when the declarer holds the ace-king in a suit led by the defenders, the defenders cannot establish the suit until they have forced the declarer to win tricks with his two stoppers which control the suit. Like Miami, we lead 14-3. Unfortunately we often are in either a close game or a potential losing situation. In a contract of 3NT holding Axx-xx-AKxxxx-AQx opposite a dummy of Kxx-Jxx-QJxx-Kxx, should the opponents' lead hearts, our contract could be out the window. The potential eleven tricks in the other three suits go "poof." The defenders have the advantage because they get to fire the first shot. In this case, if hearts are other than 4-4 the declarer is doomed. At this point we'll add a most important word that dictates the final disposition of the contract, timing. It should be obvious that in the above situation timing is on the side of the defenders because of the heart lead. Suppose the opening leader held QJ10x-K10xx-xxx-xx. In this case, unless he was clairvoyant, he would lead the spade queen. What happens to the timing? It quickly shifts to the declarer, who can run his 11 tricks before the opening leader can say, "Whoops, I led the wrong major." The lesson to be learned is that controls and timing go hand in hand. As declarer in 3NT we hold AQxx-Axx-xxxx-AK opposite dummy's xxx-KQxx-KQJ10-xx. Our LHO fires the first shot by leading a low club. We must use one of our controls and win the ace. Timing seems to be on our side. Let's count our winners. We have the spade ace, three hearts and two clubs for six sure tricks. It should be obvious to all that the three additional tricks are to be found in the diamond suit. However, the defenders have the ace, but that's OK because even if we let them win it we still have a second club control. Timing remains with us. After winning the return with the king our side can garner the nine tricks to make our contract. There's an important second lesson in this hand and that is the order in which the declarer plays his cards. As long as he has control he should not cash his winners until after he has promoted secondary cards into additional winners. If he first cashes his sure tricks, then knocks out the diamond ace, he will lose control. Timing will shift to the defenders and they will rush in like locusts and cash their tricks. Can you find an overtrick in this hand without jeopardizing the contract? After knocking out the diamond ace you can safely play the ace, king, queen of hearts. Should each defender hold three hearts, your fourth heart will become a winner. Notice you cannot afford to finesse the spade queen, for should it lose to the king the opponents will cash their club winners. Declarer holds AQxx-Axx-xxxx-Kx opposite xxx-KQxx-KQJ10-xx in a contract of 1NT. Except for substituting a small club for the ace, the hands are identical to our last sample. After the club lead, declarer with only one stopper, does not have the luxury of setting up those beautiful diamonds. In order to assure his contract he must take the spade finesse immediately and hope the hearts break 3-3.