Deceptive lead pays off

Press, 22 August 1989, Page 16

Deceptive lead pays off

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

Of all the players I have partnered none has shown more guts and courage than Kris Wooles when he is declarer. You will see why later. He has a fierce longstanding rivalry with John Hay, and both of them would rather slit a vein than concede a trick to the other. As a result of the events on this deal from the final round of a teams championship in Christchurch, Hay is walking around bathed in a warm glow of euphoria. North dealt with both sides vulnerable:

After the Precision Club opening South became the declarer in the predestined contract of five diamonds in spite of the adverse heart bidding. Basically this requires either the king of clubs to be with East, or the king of diamonds with West, and there is the diamond king nicely on-side, so the contract should make. It did not, however, go according to destiny. John Hay had been waiting many years for this particular scenario — his hated rival on his right, a long strong diamond suit on his left, and him on lead with the king and another. He was not about

to fail to rise to the occasion.

Poker-faced, he led the seven of diamonds, putting Kris Wooles in the hot seat. He studied the lead for a long time, be-

fore deciding that no-one would lead away from the king of trumps after that auction.

Then he made what could be the bravest play of the year. He called for the ace of diamonds, hoping to drop the singleton king in East.

When this did not eventuate, he led a club to the queen and king, conceding one down when West made the king of diamonds and the ace of hearts. The deceptive opening lead had proved to be a resounding success.

Why was the play of the diamond ace so brave? Because while it would have been bad enough to lose to a singleton king off-side, it was even worse to hear John Hay’s insufferable cackling if he had in fact led away from the diamond king. Kris Wooles has never lacked guts at the bridge table, but he may now wish he did.

Wooles recovered most of his loss with some skilful declarer play on this hand dealt by. South with neither side vulnerable:

Against four • spades West led the king of diamonds won by the declarer, who returned the suit. After ruffing the third round he cashed the king and ace of hearts, then the ace and king of clubs and ruffed a club in hand. By this stage dummy had four trumps and the 10 of hearts, so when South led the queen of spades his only other losers were the ace of spades and queen of hearts. When the board was replayed at the other table in the same contract the declarer made the mistake of winning the first diamond and leading trumps. Correctly, East allowed the king and queen to make, and suddenly South had a problem.

She could still have succeeded had she led a low heart to dummy’s 10. East wins, and continues diamonds. South ruffs, then leads her last spade. When East takes the ace he has no more diamonds, so must give the lead to dummy. The last trump is drawn, the ace and king of hearts set up the declarer’s heart suit, and South takes the rest of the tricks.

After winning the first trick with the ace of diamonds and two rounds of spades, however, the declarer took her eye off the ball. She played the ace and king of clubs, ruffed a club and led her last spade. East won, cashed the ace of trumps, and forced dummy with the fourth round of clubs. When this set up his long trump, the contract was one down.