Bridge ONE DEAL BEGAT TWO CONTRACTS

Lewis Carroll claimed, “It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backward.”

Not always! If your memory works backward to yesterday, you will recognize this deal, although it has been rotated to make South the declarer. Yesterday, North was in seven diamonds. At one table, East led the heart ace, conceding a ruffand-sluff on which declarer’s spade loser evaporated. At the other table, East led the spade queen, which defeated the grand slam.

Today, South is in six spades. How does that contract fare? We are looking at the 2019 European Champions Cup match between England and Greece. In the open room, the auction duplicated yesterday’s, reaching seven diamonds. Michael Bell led the spade queen to defeat the grand. In this auction, Alexander Allfrey’s three-diamond response was an echo from the past, showing a good hand with spades and diamonds. Five hearts and redouble showed first- and second-round controls in hearts. Then, when Andy Robson (South) passed over East’s six-heart sacrifice, he was inviting his partner to bid higher. So, assuming his partner had good trumps, North went on to six spades. After West led a club, declarer won with his king, cashed his top trumps and claimed his contract exactly.

As you have no doubt noticed, West’s lethal lead was his singleton diamond queen, which East would have ruffed with his singleton spade queen. West also gets a trump trick. No doubt West suggested that his partner should have doubled the final contract, Lightner, to ask for an unusual lead, which is usually the first suit bid by the dummy.