Bridge - The Scotsman 13/07/12

Published on 13/07/2012 00:00

WHEN things look hopeless you can always try the unexpected.

On this deal from the European championships a number of pairs overbid to 4H. There is an unfortunate duplication in diamonds, and the overcall suggests that the black aces lie over the kings, but these things can be hard to diagnose during the auction. West led the ten of diamonds. If declarer covers with the jack East should win the ace and switch to a club, giving the defenders four immediate top winners. Even if she switches to a spade and declarer guesses right the contract is hopeless. Diamonds provide only two discards, so the defenders will eventually make two clubs.

Since covering does not help, one declarer played low on the ten of diamonds. The play cannot cost: if East overtakes to lead a black card there are three winning diamonds to provide discards; if he does not, declarer can later ruff away the ace to take two discards on the queen-jack as before. Meantime, West was left unexpectedly on lead. She started to worry. Was it time to cash out?

Rather than exit safely with a red card she decided to cash the ace of clubs, looking for an attitude signal. The contract could no longer be beaten. Declarer had an even easier time when, in a second attack of panic, West cashed her other ace.

(1)4-card heart raise

(2)Singleton