Bridge - The Scotsman 13/02/2012
ThE European Championships will be held in Dublin in June. Eight teams entered the Trials for the Open team, and after an all-play-all weekend the leading four teams will play knockout matches at the Carlton Bridge Club on 24-25 February. Mike Ash (Miro Dragic, Irving Gordon, Bill Whyte) plays Charles Outred (Vi Outred, David and Catherine Gerrard); and Brian Spears (John Murdoch, Derek Diamond, Derek Sanders) plays Douglas Piper (Alex Wilkinson, Jim Hay, Jun Nakamuro-Pinder)
On this deal a defender was too clever for his own good, but declarer failed to take advantage. 1H was limited to a maximum of 15 points, so West could safely raise to game without worrying about a missed slam. A spade lead brings instant success for the defence, but South led a low club, taken in dummy. Declarer led a heart to the king – and South ducked. He imagined that declarer had KQxxx and expected him to return to dummy to lead a second heart, by which time a winning defence might be clearer. But South simply led a second heart. North had to overtake South’s jack with the queen, and he returned a club to the king. Declarer cashed two diamonds, then crossed to dummy with a third club. When everybody followed he had his chance to discard two spades on the ace of diamonds and the thirteenth club. But, convinced that North had the ace of hearts (would he not cash it?) declarer carelessly played the 13th club before the ace of diamonds. South ruffed and switched finally to spades.