Contract Bridge

One of the most

remarkable deals this writer has ever been personally involved in is this one from the Reisinger Knockout teams at the 1994 Eastern States Regional.

North-South reached

six notrump, a contract that offered great promise, save for the fact that the opponents held two aces. West led a heart, taken by the ace, and declarer, without betraying the slightest concern, returned the jack of diamonds.

West ducked the jack,

and ducked again when declarer continued with the queen. West was, naturally, trying to prevent the establishment of dummy’s diamonds, to which there were limited entries.

West succeeded

in winning this battle, but lost the war. Having secured two diamond tricks, South now turned his attention to the spade suit, leading the king. East won with the ace and could do no better than return a heart to declarer’s king. South then cashed the Q-J of spades, and when the ten fell, he sheepishly claimed the rest of the tricks to make the slam.

It is difficult to blame West

for the outcome, since he had no way of knowing that his partner held the ace of spades. Indeed, even if West had taken the ace of diamonds, it is hardly likely that he would have returned a spade into the teeth of South’s spade suit. And if he did not find the spade shift, declarer would have collected five diamonds, four clubs and three hearts to bring in the slam.

Even so,

the fact remains that South bid and made six notrump missing two aces, a feat that left the defenders in a state of high agitation, and declarer in a state of embarrassed euphoria.

Tomorrow:

Tug of war.