Bridge WATCHING YOURSELF PLAYING BRIDGE

Like most bridge players, over the last few months, I have spent a fair amount of time playing at Bridge Base Online. I like to look at other tables, and it is clear that some players are logging in under two usernames. One plays and the other kibitzes, so the player can see all four hands.

One player who has caught my eye has a Bulgarian name but says that he lives in England. He is an expert who will play for pay with less experienced players.

I hope no one contacts him. Look at today’s deal. What do you think of the auction, and how would you play in six hearts after West leads the diamond four?

How could South jump to six hearts? Only if he knew his partner’s hand.

Then we get to the play. The contract appears to be laydown. Declarer can win with dummy’s diamond king, cash the heart ace-queen, cross to the club ace, return to the diamond ace, discard the third diamond on the club king and concede one spade trick.

But how did our villain play it? He won with the diamond ace, took dummy’s top hearts, played a club to his ace, cashed the heart king, then led a diamond to dummy’s jack!

When the finesse won, declarer claimed an overtrick for a cold top. However, note that if the diamond finesse had lost, the defenders could have cashed the spade ace to defeat the slam. When was making a slam ever a bad score? Once every pandemic! (In this session, seven pairs bid six hearts, and nine missed it.)

Finally, note that South was not playing for matchpoints or money. What was his motivation?