Contract Bridge

Bridge is a partnership game that reaches its highest level when two players operate on precisely the same wavelength during the bidding or play to achieve their optimal result.

Take this case where EastWest collaborated perfectly to defeat four spades. West led the four of clubs to East’s ace, and East then had to decide the best course for the defense.

He reasoned that South was almost certain to hold a long, strong spade suit and at least one of the red aces for his opening bid. Even if West held a red ace, this left the defense with only three potential winners, all of them aces. Another trick would have to be found.

East concluded that his best chance lay in trying to obtain a club ruff, a plan that required South to hold at least three clubs. Accordingly, East returned the six of clubs at trick two. South in the meantime did his best to disguise his actual holding by following with the seven to the first club lead and the queen to the second.

It was now West’s turn to do his part for the cause, and he came through with flying colors. Following his partner’s defense, which strongly suggested that he had started with a doubleton club, West dropped the ten on the queen, applying an unusual extension of the suit-preference signal. In this instance, he was transmitting the message that he held an entry in the higher-ranking side suit, hearts. (Had he held the ace of diamonds instead, he would have played the deuce on the second club.)

After overtaking the queen of clubs with the king, declarer led the jack of spades from dummy, trying to look like a man taking a finesse against the queen, but East didn’t take the bait. He rose with the ace and led a heart to his partner’s ace, and the ensuing club ruff put the final touch on a welldefended hand.