Contract Bridge

This deal from a team-offour match demonstrates how psychology sometimes plays a primary role in determining the outcome. The contract at both tables was three notrump played by South, and both Wests led a spade. Both declarers won East’s ten with the jack, but that’s where the similarity ended.

Both declarers realized that they would need a club trick to make the contract, and also recognized the danger posed by the possibility that East might have the ace of clubs. In that case, East could win the first club lead and return a spade. If West originally had five spades, this would defeat the contract.

At the first table, South crossed to dummy with a diamond at trick two and led a low club toward his hand, hoping to steal his ninth trick if East had the ace and played low. Unfortunately for South, East alertly put up the ace and returned a spade, whereupon West cashed four spade tricks to sink the contract.

The declarer at the second table found a more devious way to try to steal a club trick. After winning the first spade, he cashed the ace of diamonds and then led the club king.

This sequence of plays was designed to create the impression that South had started with the singleton ace of diamonds and was trying to develop an entry to dummy. East was tempted to take his ace, but he had no way of knowing for sure that his partner could run four spade tricks.

So East ducked the king, after which declarer ran like a thief with his nine tricks to net 700 points for his team.