IF IT DOES NOT HELP TO WIN A TRICK, DUCK

Hans Christian Andersen wrote, “Being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan’s egg.” Which of those words is relevant to this deal? It was reported by the unfortunate declarer, Mike Kamil of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

South was in three notrump. West led the diamond king: four, 10, three. West then shifted to a low heart, and East, Geir Helgemo, a Norwegian by birth who now represents Monaco, put in his nine to stop dummy's king from becoming an entry card. What happened after that?

North ought to have responded one no-trump, but he felt that if his side belonged in three notrump, it would be better to have the strong hand as the declarer. That was exactly how it panned out.

South’s intention was to take these nine tricks: three spades, two hearts, one diamond and three clubs. There was no time to lose, so, at trick three, declarer played a club to dummy's queen.

If Helgemo had taken this trick and, say, returned his second diamond, South could have won with his ace, cashed the club king and played another club to end with those nine winners.

Instead, Helgemo played low, successfully disrupting declarer’s communications.

As declarer had noted a momentary pause from East, he led another club and put up his king, hoping East had started with ace-third. However, South had no chance to make his contract, even if he had put in his club seven. He had only one dummy entry left in the spade queen and needed two. Copyright United Feature Syndicate

(Asia Features)