Deceptive defence

Press, 9 April 1980, Page 12

Deceptive defence

CONTRACT BRIDGE:

By,

J.R. Wignall

Though contract bridge is a game of skill, a contention upheld by more than one court judgment, it is essentially a card game, and as such lends itself to applied psychology.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of deception.- There are points aplenty to be collected by the shrewd deceiver.

South was the dealer of this hand where neither side was vulnerable:

A A 5 After South had opened the bidding, the auction quickly carried him to an uncomfortably high level:

With 31 high-card points between them and two running five-card suits, North-South can be forgiven for exploring the possibilities of a slam, but when over his cue-bid of five clubs his partner could not show a diamond control, South signed off in what appears to. the safe contract of five hearts. West led the -king of diamonds and East could see that apart from the two top diamonds there would be no tricks for the defenders except possibly in the trump suit. To the first trick therefore he followed with the nine of diamonds and on the ace dropped the two, announcing to the world that he had started with a doubleton. When West continued with a third round of diamonds , who can blame South for ruffing with dummy’s king ,of hearts?. After all a three-two division of the outstanding hearts was mathematically most probable, and why should he risk East’s over- ■ ruffing the dummy. When he played off the ! ace queen and jack of hearts he soon knew his fate for East’s 10 had been promoted and another perfectly sound contract had bitten the dust.

Occasionally, the chance .for a. piece of deception

arises with the openings lead, particularly against a high-level contract. On this deal from a team of four game North-South bidgaily to a grand slam: N.

The auction was: i S. W. N. E. ‘

Had West chosen the ? normal safe and approved- j lead of a trump against the j seven-diamond contract,, the declarer might have ' scraped home. He might have won in hand, led a heart finessing dummy’s queen, and ruffed a heart in hand.

After crossing to dummy’s spade king South ruffs another, heart, then cashes the ace and king of trumps. The ace of clubs allows him to discard a low spade from the table, the ace of spades takes care of the .other, then the North hand: is entered by ruffing aclub, and the last trump drawn with the queen ofr diamonds.

The ace of hearts drops the king and ... the established hearts take the rest of the tricks. But West chose as his opening lead the eight of hearts and the declarer never had a chance. Re-, fusing to believe that his opponent would have led away from a king against a grand slam, S.outh put up dummy’s ace. After drawing trumps in three rounds finishing in dummy, he led the queen of hearts through East’s supposed king. When East followed small the de--J clarer discarded a spade and > West cheerfully made his " king of hearts to defeat J the grand slam.

s. W. N. E. IV No 2A No 3A No 4V No 5* No 5V All Pass

!♦ No 2W No No 34 No • 4NT No 6$ No J 7f All Pass