Joy despite the jettison

This week’s deal is a thin Four Spades with at least four seemingly clear losers on West’s (wise) passive Trump lead.

Declarer won the Trump lead with the ten (East withholding the Queen) and led a Club. West ducked (best) and dummy’s Queen won. Returning to a second Trump (noting the even split), declarer led a second Club.

Observe the Club spots. If West rises with his ace, dummy’s seven will be a third Club trick for declarer. Correctly, therefore, West ducked a second time. He expected to get ample compensation in the red suits for his gallant loss of the Ace of Clubs.

Winning dummy’s King of Clubs, declarer ruffed a third Club, then led a third Trump over to dummy, and ruffed the fourth Club. East had to keep three Diamonds to prevent declarer from playing Ace and another. But his third Diamond was to prove a hindrance.

At trick eight, declarer led the Ace of Diamonds, expecting West to have a doubleton honour (his shape seemed marked as two-five-two-four) This put West in another lose-lose dilemma. If he played low, declarer could lead a low Diamond to his King, endplaying him to lead away from his Ace of Hearts. West jettisoned his King under the Ace.

No good. Declarer exited with a Heart, letting West win the Knave, cash the Ace (felling declarer’s King), and follow with a third round. But declarer ruffed in dummy and led a Diamond towards his Knave. East could win the Queen but declarer’s promoted Knave took the last trick. Ten tricks and game made.

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