Bridge

Any reports of flying cows in your jurisdiction during the pandemic?

When an otherwise competent player makes a truly hopeless play as declarer (often an unnecessary finesse) to go down in a cold contract or as a defender to allow the unmakeable to be made, it’s often said to be due to a cow flying by the window to cause a major distraction.

Reached via a very ordinary auction,four hearts was a perfectly solid contract with not a lot of scope for going wrong by either side – always a time to remain vigilant and focused on what there is to be done.

West cashed his two high spades and shifted to his singleton diamond.

No matter: four heart tricks, five clubs and the ace of diamonds. As the veteran Canadian expert Joey Silver so often says when doing online commentary and the outcome is not in doubt

“NEXT!”.

Cue the cow!

On that diamond shift, South called for the dummy’s Queen. And quickly learned the error of his ways as his misguided quest for a possible 30-point overtrick was very costly indeed: East won his King and returned a diamond for his partner to ruff and the defenders had taken the first four tricks faster than you could say – are you ready for it? - MOO!

Happenings like this provide great justification for bridge clubs not having windows as who would not be distracted by a cow flying by?