When the deal was played,
Declarer concluded that a successful Spade guess was required to bring this one
home. She’d just finished reading Lawrence’s Counting at Bridge, so she
put her new-found technique to work. East had shown up with
♦AQ
and ♥J,
added to which he might also have a Club honor. With all that, and the
♠A, surely East would have opened the bidding instead of passing in first seat.
So, with a high degree of confidence, she led a Spade to the King and East’s
surprising Ace. Down one.
Declarer was obviously studying
the wrong book. What bed-time reading would have helped her make the contract?
►
It was unfortunate that
Declarer’s bedtime reading had not been End-Plays for the Improving Player.
In that case, after drawing trumps, she would have cashed the ♣K and led a Club
to the Ten and East’s Jack. East could cash the
♦T,
but then had no safe exit … a Spade return would spare Declarer the guess … and
a Club return would allow Declarer to pitch a Spade on the fourth round of
Clubs. Making 9 tricks.
It’s true that playing on Clubs
was not a sure thing. West might have held ♣QJx, in which case he would split
his honors and win the third round of the suit. Now West will lead a low Spade
and Declarer can revert to her counting activities (without a happy ending, as
it happens).
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