Maybe once seen, twice remembered

Irvin S. Cobb, a columnist who hosted the seventh Academy Awards in 1935, said, “A good storyteller is a person who has a good memory and hopes other people haven't.”

Expert bridge players benefit from a good memory. It is easier to find a textbook play if you have seen it before and stored it on your brain's hard drive.

Today's deal, based on one sent to me by Steve Conrad of Manhasset, New York, would defeat most players. What happens in three no-trump after West leads his fourth-highest diamond?

With no singleton or void and no thought of a slam, North correctly goes for the ninetrick game. (Note that five clubs by North has no chance, and five clubs by South makes only after a diamond lead.)

South starts with six top tricks: three spades and three diamonds (given trick one). He plays on clubs. When West wins with his ace, what should he do?

A sneaky South will take trick one with the diamond king, but West should not be fooled. If East had the diamond jack, he would have played that card, not the nine, at trick one.

West should realize that his partner can have only one useful card. So they must take four heart tricks immediately — but how?

If West shifts to the “normal” heart two, the defenders gain only three heart tricks. Instead, West must first lead his heart king. Then East must play his part, unblocking the eight (which is easy if you play normal signals, but harder if you employ upsidedown).

Then a heart to East's ace and the heart three through South's 10-six into West's jack-seven results in down one.