Bridge By Phillip Alder

YOU ARE WORKING FOR YOUR PARTNER TOO

I remember losing a major match in England many years ago when my partner and I bid to a seven-club contract that went down because the trumps broke 4-0 offside. In the other room, our opponents had stopped in three no-trump! If we had ended in six clubs, we would have won the match.

There will be days like that, when luck is out to lunch. On other days, though, when luck appears to be satisfying his appetite for food, he is actually still in residence — if only you can find the right line of play.

On today’s deal, South, in six clubs, won the heart-king lead in the dummy and played a trump. When East discarded a low heart, South groaned inwardly, but he didn’t immediately concede down one, as many would have.

Declarer saw that if West held either 3=3=3=4 or 3=2=4=4 distribution, the slam would still succeed. After winning trick two with the club ace, South played a spade to the ace and ruffed a heart. West’s heart jack suggested a doubleton, but perhaps he was falsecarding. Next, declarer cashed his two remaining spade tricks and his three top diamonds, ending on the board. When East discarded on the third diamond, South knew it was safe to ruff dummy’s diamond eight in his hand.

Everyone was down to three cards. South was left with K-10-9 of clubs, and West held Q-J-5 of clubs. South exited with the club 10. West won with the jack but had to lead from his Q-5 into South’s K-9 tenace. West’s two “certain” trump tricks had been telescoped into one.