Contract Bridge

You might wonder how declarer lost a trump trick in this deal and went down one in five hearts. But the fact is that it did happen, and it all came about in a perfectly natural way.

The hand was played in New Orleans in the 1978 World Open Pairs. North, Ahmed Hussein, partnered by Omar Sharif and representing Egypt, opened the bidding with one club.

East, Leon Tintner, partnered by Nadine Cohen and representing France, overcalled with two spades, indicating a strong sixcard suit in a hand of less than opening strength.

Sharif now boldly bid three hearts despite his five high-card points and dreadful heart suit. Obviously, he could not bring himself to pass, but this action ultimately came back to haunt him.

West jumped to four spades, and North, not knowing whether his side could make five hearts or whether the opponents could make four spades, decided to cater to both possibilities by bidding five hearts. That closed the bidding, and Cohen led the K-A of clubs.

Then, knowing a spade shift could serve no purpose since South had to be void in the suit, Cohen continued with a low club. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Tintner ruffed dummy’s nine of clubs with the jack of hearts, and Sharif was down one before he could even get started.

Declarer had no trouble taking the rest of the tricks. He ruffed the spade return, cashed the A-K of trump and the A-K of diamonds, then ruffed a diamond in dummy, establishing the rest of the suit. However, this was little consolation for someone who had lost a trump trick with a combined total of nine trumps headed by the A-K-Q and the trumps divided 2-2 in the opponents’ hands.