SOME PLAYS ARE TOO HARD TO FIND

Richard M. DeVos, who was a businessman and owner of the Orlando Magic basketball team, said, “Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.”

Some defenses are just too tough for (almost) everyone. This deal is doubly difficult for both sides because it occurred during an online duplicate.

After West leads a low diamond, how should South play in four spades when overtricks are not important? How would his line change if he hoped to collect an overtrick? In addition, how would the defenders play?

North used the Jacoby Forcing Raise. South’s jump to game indicated a minimum opening without a short side suit (singleton or void).

When overtricks are not an issue, declarer should win the first trick with dummy’s diamond ace and play a spade to his ace (to guard against a 4-0 split). He draws trumps, cashes his three hearts, discarding a club from hand, and concedes one diamond and two clubs.

But when overtricks are valuable, it is certainly reasonable to take the diamond finesse at trick one. Here, though, it loses, and East will shift to a low club. After South also plays low, 99.99% of players would win with the club jack and cash the club ace. A few moments later, declarer will claim his contract.

The genius receiving a positive mental push will win trick two with the club ace and return the club jack. Then East can win with his king and give partner a club ruff to defeat the contract.