ACES ON BRIDGE

“The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end.” — Leon Trotsky

In the final of a compact knockout in San Francisco, Mike Hollman put Bruce Ferguson in an awkward contract, and Bruce brought it home. West’s four-heart overcall was justified only by the vulnerability. Under pressure, North bid what he thought his partner could make.

Ferguson won the diamond lead and led a spade to the 10. When it held, he crossed to the heart ace, drew trumps ending in hand, ruffed a heart, repeated the spade finesse and exited with a heart to West.

West won, then apologized to his partner as he led another heart, catching his partner in a suicide squeeze. Ferguson’s comment: “They found the same play at the other table, but took 20 minutes longer to play it!” That line would have failed if West had an unlikely but not impossible 2=7=2=2 shape, as he could have exited with a diamond to break up the squeeze. Strangely, though, declarer can come home against either a 4-2 or 5-1 diamond break.

Say a spade to the 10 holds. Declarer draws trumps, and if East has four spades and five diamonds he will be reduced down to just one heart. Declarer now tests diamonds, and if they are 4-2, he ruffs a diamond in hand, goes to the heart ace and gives up a diamond. If they do not break, he ruffs a diamond in hand, cashes the heart ace, plays a spade to hand and exits in hearts to West.

That player must win, as dummy pitches a diamond, and now can do nothing but play another heart. Dummy ruffs, and East is again squeezed to death.