Lots of points, but few tricks

Everyone who plays bridge for money is a bad card holder, or so it seems. Why is that, do you think?

South had been losing one Chicago chukka after another when today’s deal occurred. He had been dealt 25 points, but he finished with another minus score.

South’s auction, an artificial two-club opening followed by a jump to three no-trump, showed a balanced 25-27 points.

South won the first trick with the spade queen, led the diamond king and continued with the diamond jack. However, West correctly held up his ace. At this point, the contract was beyond redemption. Do you see how South might have played better?

With six top tricks and two more tricks guaranteed in diamonds, there were two main chances to generate the ninth trick. Either the diamond ace could be singleton or doubleton, or something could be done in clubs. How could two tricks come from the clubs? If the suit was 3-3, or if either opponent held the K-Qdoubleton, or if West held

Q-x or K-x. If you do the arithmetic, you find that the chances in clubs are almost double those in diamonds.

The correct play is to duck a club at trick two. Declarer wins the majorsuit return and cashes the club ace. He plans to continue with another club, but when West drops the king, he leads a diamond to dummy’s nine, which must be ducked, and plays a club toward his hand, promoting the 10 as his ninth trick.

If South had played correctly, he would have made his contract. Have you noticed how often the grumblers — bad card holders included — have misplayed, not been unlucky?