BRIDGE

You can file today’s inelegant misdefense under “Horses, led to water, refused to drink”.

North’s takeout double was more than slightly skewed (apparently his partner doesn’t hold enough clubs to bid that suit) but the final contract was marginally OK, just not quite as good as the diamond game that might have been reached after a more natural overcall of North’s longest suit.

At the table, West started the defensive campaign effectively by leading the King of clubs to draw the upsidedown signal of the nine from East: “I have three clubs but the nine is my highest”.

West continued with the club Jack to draw a fairly complete picture of the suit’s layout and the defense’s future source of tricks before shifting to the Queen of hearts.

Declarer won the King to play a spade to dummy for a low diamond towards the closed hand. Saddled with the information from the early play, East had a clear way to defend:split his diamond honours to force an eventual entry to play a club through declarer’s holding.

But East woodenly played Second Hand Low on that first diamond and South was charmed to win the trick with his nine. Less charmed was West who discarded a small heart.

More discomfort was on the way for West as South finished the spades before leading a second round of diamonds to his ace. And the defense was kaput as West had been squeezed and either had to unguard hearts (he did, but his partner couldn’t produce the seven!) or clubs to have South score a ninth trick in whichever suit West abandoned.