Dummy Reversal

Dummy reversal is a technique whereby the dummy is made the master hand, declarer using trump from the long hand to ruff and while retaining trump in the shorter hand to draw the opponents' remaining trump.  

Generally speaking, it is advantageous to ruff only in the hand that contains shorter trumps, but in a dummy reversal, extra tricks may sometimes be developed by ruffing in the long hand and later using dummy’s trumps to extract

those of the opponents. 

                                    ♠ J 10 9 

                                    ♥ J 5 2 

                                    ♦ A 6 4 2 

                                    ♣ Q 8 7 

            ♠ 6 4 3                                 ♠ 8 2 

            ♥ K Q 10 4                            ♥ A 8 7 

            ♦ K Q 10 8                            ♦ J 9 7 5 

            ♣ 6 4                                    ♣ J 10 9 5 

                                    ♠ A K Q 7 5 

                                    ♥ 9 6 3 

                                    ♦ 3 

                                    ♣ A K 3 2 

South plays in 4♠, and the defense cash their three heart tricks. A spade switch defeats the contract, but West continues with a diamond. Can declarer take advantage of the defensive slip? 

Superficially, it seems that declarer must bank on an even division in clubs or alternatively draw two rounds of trumps and then attempt to ruff the fourth club in dummy in case they divide unevenly. Both lines are inferior to the dummy reversal, which requires only a 3-2 break in trumps. Dummy wins the diamond, and a low diamond is ruffed with the ♠A. Dummy is re-entered twice in spades declarer conserving his low trumps for that purpose – to ruff the remaining diamonds with the king and queen, leaving this position: 

                                    ♠ J

                                    ♥ — 

                                    ♦ — 

                                    ♣ Q 8 7 

            ♠ 6                                        ♠ — 

            ♥ 10                                      ♥ — 

            ♦ —                                       ♦ — 

            ♣ 6 4                                     ♣ J 10 9 5 

                                    ♠ — 

                                    ♥ — 

                                    ♦ — 

                                    ♣ A K 3 2 

Declarer now crosses to dummy’s ♣Q, and leads the ♠J, simultaneously extracting the last trump and discarding his losing club. Declarer takes the last two tricks with the ♣A-K. Note that declarer can switch plans after drawing two spades if they are 4-1.

Some indicators that a hand may lend itself to dummy reversal are:

•  shortness (singleton or void) in declarer's hand with length in the same suit in dummy

• loser(s) in declarer's hand that cannot be ruffed or discarded on a side suit

• adequate trump strength and length in dummy (typically a three or four card trump suit with at least two honors for drawing the final trumps)

• entries to dummy outside of the trump suit

Sometimes the decision to “reverse,” or establish the dummy in preference to his

hand, is forced upon declarer by the character of his trump suit. 

                                    ♠ A K J

                                    ♥ 10 2 

                                    ♦ A J 8 7 3 

                                    ♣ A 9 8 

            ♠ 3 2                                         ♠ 10 9 4 

            ♥ 7 5 4                                      ♥ Q J 9 3 

            ♦ Q 9 5 4                                  ♦ K 10 6 

            ♣ Q J 10 2                                  ♣ 6 5 4 

                                    ♠ Q 8 7 6 5 

                                    ♥ A K 8 6 

                                    ♦ 2 

                                    ♣ K 7 3 

The contract is 6♠, and West leads the ♣Q. If declarer attempts to ruff his losing hearts in dummy, he will promote a trump trick for East. Together with the club loser, that will spell defeat. However, by ruffing three of dummy’s diamonds in his hand – establishing the fifth diamond in the process – he can utilize dummy’s trumps for drawing purposes. That way he makes his slam, losing only a club

trick. 

The play goes as follows: ♣K, diamond to the ace, diamond ruff, spade to the ace, diamond ruff, spade to the king, diamond ruff with the ♠Q. Now a club to

the ace allows declarer to discard his losing hearts on the ♠J and long diamond.  He will concede a club at trick 13. 

SOURCES: 

- "Conventions", The Official ACBL Encyclopedia of Bridge, 7th ed. Horn Lake: American Contract Bridge League, Inc., 2011, page 450-451. Print

- Wikipedia contributors. "Ruff (cards); Dummy Reversal." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 3 Apr. 2013. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.