Play a dead card more quickly

If you hold a trump honor that stands no chance of winning a trick, consider playing it earlier than necessary. Declarer might think that the trumps are breaking badly, turn his attention to the side suits and later allow you a ruff with a low trump.

Today’s deal was played in the match between Sweden and Spain at the 1974 European Championship. Both teams played in four spades. At the first table, West led a club to his partner’s ace, won the second trick with the club king and exited with a club to South’s queen. Declarer cashed the spade king, led a second spade, picking up West’s queen, drew the last trump, established the hearts and won 11 tricks.

At the other table, the Swedish West, Tjolpe Flodqvist, successfully deflected declarer from the winning course. The defenders began with three rounds of clubs, but when South cashed the spade king, Flodqvist dropped the queen. Flodqvist, seeing that the queen couldn’t take a trick, hoped to mislead declarer.

South was fooled. Thinking the trumps were breaking 4-1, he cashed the heart ace, played a heart to the king and ruffed a heart in hand. Disaster! Flodqvist overruffed with the spade nine, then led a club, promoting his partner’s spade 10 as the setting trick.

True, declarer should have drawn a second round of trumps just in case. If West does discard, South continues with three rounds of hearts, ruffing the last in hand if necessary. Then he leads a trump to dummy and runs the winning hearts. East is welcome to one trump trick. However, that doesn’t detract from Flodqvist’s imaginative play.