National Post (National Edition)
THE TASK AHEAD
Vaccine deliveries and vaccination efforts will have to be significantly ramped up if the federal government wants to hit its September target of having every Canadian vaccinated who wants to be.
It's a constant source of amazement (and, just as often, amusement) to see how so many “experts” fly in the face of traditional wisdom that they must think is best reserved for rank and file beginners.
North's opening bid was his partnership's strong, artificial and forcing bid (as in “Precision Club”) with South's initial response an artificial transfer bid showing spades.
But after North's balanced hand (17-19 high-card points) rebid came back around, South decided to conceal his heart suit in favour of taking a direct route to the spade game.
Note that South's bidding was a bit of a gamble that paid off as North might have held but two spades and as many as four hearts and the actual bidding left West uninformed about the South hand.
Enter West with his attempt to make a newspaper column with his “daring” underlead of his ace, a lead that beginners are constantly admonished by teachers worldwide to avoid at all costs.
West got his wish in limited fashion as his lead is here in all its inglorious glory but his name will be omitted in line with my policy of avoiding embarrassing players who do the undoable.
Declarer won his Jack of diamonds and set about establishing his heart suit to end with just three losers: the two top hearts and the ace of clubs.
Interesting post-deal chat.
East: “Where did the ace of diamonds go?”.
West: “It must have fallen on the floor, sorry partner”.
NOTE: the computer governing online play doesn't allow cards to drop but can't stop players from doing really bad things. Thank fully!
So how do you set about securing a defensive ruff or two against an opponent’s suit contract?
Most would think that the answer is obvious: lead your short suit and hope to get a chance to ruff before your trump inventory is depleted.
Really forward thinkers might adopt the alternate plan of leading what they hope will be their partner’s short suit for the same desired outcome.
The play of today’s deal showcased a totally counterintuitive route to scoring defensive ruffs: lead trumps!
After North’s intervening cuebid asking for a major-suit preference, South picked hearts to leave West with no truly appealing opening-lead choices.
Sensing his partner might have spade length and strength (he really did!) that might need protection, West started with a small trump that went to East’s Queen and declarer’s King,
South continued with a diamond to the King, a second round to the ace and a third-round ruff in the dummy that East was pleased to overruff for the first defensive trump trick.
East counter attacked by cashing his top spades and playing a third round that South trumped with the heart Jack. But when he tried to slip a good diamond past the defender, West ruffed with his penultimate small trump to force dummy to overruff.
Last chance: declarer called for the spade ten that East covered as South tried to ruff with the five but size mattered as West’s last trump was one pip bigger so he could overruff for the setting trick, ironically the defense’s second trump trick.
And, yes, declarer now realizes he could have done better by playing a second round of hearts to the ace before setting up diamonds.