BRIDGE with Bob Jones

The opening heart lead went to the jack and ace. South made the correct technical play in spades by cashing his ace and then leading a spade toward dummy. West played his king and South could count 11 tricks. A twelfth could come from a successful finesse in either diamonds or clubs. West saw that a club finesse was sure to be successful, so he decided to put some pressure on declarer. West shifted to the nine of clubs, trying hard to look like a man without the king.

The deceptive play worked! South decided that East held the king of clubs, so he rose with dummy’s ace and ran off three spade winners and three heart winners, leaving this position: South cashed the king of diamonds and led another diamond. East was “known” to have the king of clubs and he could not also hold the queen of diamonds, so South rose with his ace and great was the fall thereon. “Nice club shift,” said South. “I was fooled.” Was that a twinkle in his eye?