Contract Bridge

THE DELICATE ART OF LARCENY

Anything declarer can do to induce an error by the defense is a legitimate part of the game. Deception plays an important role in bridge, and a contract stolen by a ruse counts just as much as one fulfilled on its merits.

West’s notrump overcall was “unusual,” showing length in both minor suits. After his initial pass, the notrump bid could hardly have its natural meaning, and so, by convention, showed interest in the minors.

South’s four-spade bid was very dubious. North had passed originally and was scarcely likely to have a hand that would produce a game opposite a skimpy opening bid.

West led a heart, and South noted that there were four losers — two diamonds, a club and a heart. The only real chance to make the contract appeared to lie in somehow getting the defense to err. Declarer knew he had four losers, but he also knew that neither opponent could be aware of this.

From the opening lead and East’s play of the queen of hearts, South could be sure that West had the jack. (If East had the Q-J, he would have played the jack, not the queen.) So South decided to capitalize on this knowledge and give West a chance to go wrong. He won the queen with the ace and drew three rounds of trump, ending in his own hand. Then he led the six of hearts!

West was not anxious to take the lead, and it was difficult for him to conceive that declarer had started with the A-K-10-6 of hearts and would play in this fashion. So he ducked the heart, expecting East to win with the ten or king, but dummy’s nine won the trick! South then cashed the K-10 of hearts, discarding a diamond from dummy to finish with 11 tricks, which left West feeling very foolish indeed. © 2018 King Features Syndicate Inc.