Play your winner at a crucial moment

An autumnal chill was in the air. Some were predicting a frost overnight. But the Senior Life Master was happy, sitting beside the fire in the bridge club lounge. He handed a piece of paper inscribed with today’s diagram to his companion.

Sitting West was Adinah Cohen (began the SLM). Her first name is a Hebrew word meaning “gentle” or “delicate.” However, Adinah was tough at the bridge table, demanding perfection from her partner and herself. Adinah was playing with Gershom Cuban. His name means “stranger there,” and he was a newcomer to town. They seemed a good match, but was Gershom’s bridge good enough?

Adinah opened with a weak two, North made a debatable takeout double, and South bid what he hoped he could make.

Adinah led the spade seven: queen, 10, three. Declarer played a heart to his hand and led a diamond toward the dummy. When West followed with the queen, declarer paused for some time, deciding if Adinah could have started with the doubleton ace-queen. Eventually South played low from the board. Adinah persevered with the spade king, declarer winning with his ace.

Now came a second diamond, Adinah playing the jack. Declarer, sticking to his plan, played low from the board. When East had to win with his ace, South claimed two spades, two hearts, three diamonds and three clubs.

“You somnambulist!” cried Adinah, who had an imaginative vocabulary. “My diamond queen had to be the top of touching honors for us to have a chance. You should have overtaken my queen with your ace and returned your second spade. I would have regained the lead in diamonds, and we would have defeated the contract.”