Needs must when the devil drives

Press, 27 May 1981, Page 16

Needs must when the devil drives

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

It. happens to all of us, even the best of partnerships, that we occasionally arrive in an apparently impossible contract.

A little aggression in the auction from one partner, a bit of optimism from the other, or a slight misunderstanding of a well-inten-tioned bid can all land us overboard. On this hand from a team of four game, the contract at one table was a safe pedestrian three no-trumps, but there was rather more action when it was replayed at the second table:

North was the dealer with neither side vulnerable, and the first auction was: W. N. E. S. If No 2NT No 3NT All pass

Playing Precision, North had a more or less typical one diamond opening bid. South’s two no-trumps showed a balanced hand of at least 16 high card points, and North was happy to sign off in three no-trumps. West led a low heart, won. by the declarer’s queen, and South immediately tried a diamond to the king. When this won the trick, he quickly claimed five tricks in clubs, three in spades and one more in hearts for a total of 11 in all. That was the contract with two overtricks, and everyone got on with the next hand. •- At the second table, after a similar start to the auction, suddenly a wheel came off

and North alighted at the precarious contract of six clubs. At first sight, it appears that there are only 11 tricks available — five in trumps, three in spades, two in hearts with the aid of the finesse and one in diamonds. But the declarer was an expert card player who saw a glimmer of hope and a chance to display his skill.. Playing in six clubs he ■won the opening lead of a spade with the ace in his hand, and drew the opposing trumps in three rounds, finishing in hand. Then he tried a low heart to dummy’s queen and was over the first hurdle when this won. After cashing the ace of hearts, he played off two more rounds of spades on

which he discarded one of his losing diamonds. The position had become:

When a diamond was led from the South hand, West smoothly played low, but North put up the king to win

the trick. He now put West on lead with a diamond to the ace, and it was all over. Whether West led hearts or spades at this point was immaterial for North was able to discard his last diamond as he ruffed in dummy. The declarer had, by endplaying the defence, confined his losers to only one in •diamonds, and had thus brought home his optimistic slam.

Of course, had West foreseen the ending, he would have taken the ace of diamonds as soon as the suit was led and returned a low diamond. The declarer would have had to .lose two tricks in the suit and to concede defeat.

But to be fair, this defence is neither clear-cut nor easy tb find at the table.