8th March – Board 17: Love All. Dealer North.
Nobody likes to be forced to make crucial decisions at the five-level and in any event sometimes the difference between two choices turns out to be a bit arbitrary.
 |
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
No
|
1H
|
4S
| |
5H
|
No
|
No
|
???
|
The winning action for South would be to go quietly over 5H on the basis that the five-level belongs to the opposition, but even so the defence has to be careful. On the lead of the king of diamonds declarer can almost make his contract but will only fail because ironically his trumps are too good. Suppose he wins the diamond in dummy and ruffs a diamond high, enters dummy with the nine of trumps and ruffs another diamond. With the queen falling dummy now has two winners in the suit – but no means of getting there! Now swap the ten of hearts with the nine and dummy would have two entries in trumps. I know that at some tables the ace of spades was led followed by the ace of clubs but I am not crazy about that. Much more likely I would have thought to be giving away a trick in the suit. Of course some Souths added one for the road and bid five spades and I can understand why. After ruffing the heart lead declarer should play ace and another spade and will succeed in making eleven tricks if the trumps are 2-2 or either defender holds a singleton king or jack. This time he will be unlucky.
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