Bridge

North-South game; dealer West

When partner fails to lead your bid suit which would have led to the defeat of the contract - it's bad enough. But it's even worse when declarer then proceeds to make an overtrick, giving your side a resounding bottom. The hand is from one of the Bridge Pro Tour Individual events in the U.S.A., promoted by Larry King, former husband to former tennis champion Billie Jean King. East opened third in hand with a sprightly One Heart bid, and South overcalled Two Clubs. West doubled, to show values, and North jumped to Five Clubs. Whereas a heart lead to the king, ace, then a heart ruff would have set the contract, West led the king of spades. Joel Wooldridge, a member of the U.S.A.'s Junior Team gratefully ruffed in dummy, then ruffed a diamond to hand. Now came the jack of spades, which held. South's ten of spades was covered and ruffed in dummy, and a second diamond ruffed back to hand. Only now did Wooldridge touch trumps. A club to dummy's ten allowed a third diamond ruff. A further club to the ace drew the outstanding trump, and now when declarer played the ace of diamonds, throwing a heart from hand, he was gratified to find the diamonds breaking 4-4. The jack of diamonds provided a parking place for a second losing heart, and with the ace of spades and king of clubs left in hand, there was just one heart loser. Making six.