BRIDG E

When Oscar Wilde famously wrote “I can resist anything except temptation”, he could have been describing the impure thoughts going through North’s mind.

North started the action he was eventually going to be the victim of by making a preemptive jump overcall: weak? Yes, but to the point of being based on virtually nothing.

Negative double from East to eventually unearth his side’s spade fit and South got into the act by introducing his robust club suit.

That was one temptation too many for North as when

East-west eventually settled into four spades, the holder of the deal’s weakest hand let the lure of a possibly profitable sacrifice at favourable vulnerability motivate him to bid five clubs.

Not so profitable after West cashed one high spade and shifted to a club for dummy to win the ten.

Low heart from dummy but East grabbed the ace to fire back a second round of clubs. South won the trump ace so that he’d get at least one spade ruff in the dummy but that was the last good news for the declaring side.

When the smoke cleared, the defense had harvested seven (!!!) tricks for the dreaded sticks and circles: +1100 to East-west.

Having very little to contribute to any offensive venture and recognizing that the likely 4-1 spade split might prove hard to manage for his opponent in four spades, this was one temptation North could have and really should have sidestepped.

Yes, four spades did go down one at the other table of this match.

Memo to South: if your partner is this likely to succumb to tempation, don’t stoke the fire!