Dubious Logic

Another Lesson

I ended last week's article with a remark that every now and again something in a game of bridge might carry over into the world in general. That was motivated by the observation that 'doing the right thing' does not always get the right result. More often of course, the lessons learned are safely confined to the way the cards work and, every now and again, something new and surprising comes along.

This hand comes from last Sunday's Suffolk Club Teams of Four (full results to follow). There was some wider import too: when opponents play different and varied systems, there are going to be hands that suit them and this was one of those:

West's two hearts showed five hearts and another suit, his partner's response indicated something in spades and wanted to know that other suit. South made the great lead of a spade – not enough to beat the contract but it kept the defence in the game. Without that trump lead, East would have been able to score a club and nine tricks on a cross-ruff. As it was, that plan would be a trick short if the defence could play another trump when in with the club ace. It seemed worth a try so East played a club and I found myself on lead.

Able only to see dummy, but knowing that East had the club king and so there was discard coming, I weighed up a trump against cashing partner's diamonds. Eventually I played a diamond and the play was soon over; we had our diamonds, declarer had the rest. My play seemed not to make a difference, but then it came to me. After a trump declarer would win and try to establish the diamonds by leading towards the queen. Partner would win and try to cash a heart, ruffed in the close hand, then would come the moment of truth:

East leads towards the diamond queen and South allows it to hold! Declarer needs seven of the last eight but there is no way to score more than the surprise diamond trick, the club king and four trumps. That's something you don't see every day!

Published Saturday 18.Feb.2006