''IT might never happen,'' I said to Sheila who was looking thoroughly
downcast. ''It is happening all the time. I have had mishap after mishap
and last night it happened at the bridge table. I am accident-prone,''
she wailed as she showed me these cards.
WEST
-> 8 4
>- K
>= A Q 9 8 6 4 3 2
=> 7 2
EAST
-> A K Q 10
>- Q 9 5 2
>= --
=> A K J 10 9
''My partner opened One Club and I pre-empted with Three Diamonds but
my partner had to keep on bidding and I finished in Five Diamonds. The
lead was the ace of hearts followed by another which I ruffed as I had
plenty of side tricks and judged that my only hope was to find an
opponent with king doubleton in diamonds. I laid down the ace of
diamonds and my left hand opponent dropped the king so what should I do
now?'' she asked.
''Obviously with your other opponent having four diamonds to the
jack-ten you will have to try a trump reduction to coup his trumps in
the end-play. It will win if the spades and clubs are at least
three-two,'' I replied.
''That is exactly what I did do. I played a club to the ace and ruffed
another heart. I returned to dummy with a spade and ruffed the last
heart. Believe it or believe it not I was overruffed with the seven of
diamonds! He had started with K-7 of diamonds and had initially got his
seven of diamonds mixed up with his hearts and so I was one down. If the
king of diamonds had in fact been singleton I would have made contract.
After ruffing the last heart I go back to dummy on a club and ruff a
club. Over again to dummy with a spade and any card from dummy reduces
him to one trump trick. The opponents actually held these cards.''
NORTH
-> J 6 5 2
>- A 6 4
>= K 7
=> 8 6 5 3
SOUTH
-> 9 7 3
>- J 10 8 7 3
>= J 10 5
=> Q 4
During all this sad tale my brain had been working overtime. ''After
the ace of diamonds you could have played the nine of diamonds. If South
indeed has the four trumps you lose that trick but you still have your
trump coup for the rest,'' I remarked gently and now she looked even
more downcast than before.
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