Six-five come alive!

I did a Google search for that phrase and it came back juxtaposed with 'Bumper Sticker' – now that's a niche market. Sadly the two topics, though both about bridge, were unrelated. These two deals formed a round at Ipswich & Kesgrave a while back:

Game All,
Dealer South
  • 87432
  • J
  • J53
  • 10984
  • ---
  • A109642
  • A8642
  • K2
N
W
E
S
  • AK1096
  • 75
  • 97
  • A653
  • QJ5
  • KQ82
  • KQ10
  • QJ7
West
North
East
South
—
—
—
1NT(14-16)
3♥
Pass
3♠
Pass
4♥
All Pass

When the ten of clubs was led, declarer hurriedly won the ace, and cashed top spades and then she ruffed a spade. Club king, then ace and another diamond followed, and as South I won and played another club. That was soft but I had the worry that West might have had AJ109xx trumps - now a low heart won cheaply would give her eleven tricks. But without a trump lead four hearts is always there. Even with the slightly unnatural block in clubs, ruffing a spade sets up this position on a low heart switch:

  • 87
  • ---
  • ---
  • 109
  • ---
  • 10964
  • ---
  • ---
N
W
E
S
  • 109
  • ---
  • ---
  • 65
  • ---
  • KQ8
  • ---
  • Q

West has won the trump and ruffed her diamond (much as happened in actual play), she now leads a club (the good spades play no part in this) and ruffs that. Now she exits with the ♥10 and the next play won't cause her any difficulty.

Mrs Ottlik's husband coined the term elopement, The Bridge World defines it as "[a] method of play based on scoring tricks by ruffing with trumps that are not high". Note the power of the aces and kings in the East-West hands. Note the futility of my maximum point-count no-trump…

Next board West was again in action, I'll give this as a defensive problem from my perspective as South:

West
North
East
South
1♠
Pass
1NT
Pass
3♠
All Pass
N
W
E
S
  • Q
  • J106
  • Q10843
  • K753
  • 93
  • K43
  • K9765
  • QJ4

Again partner led the ♣10, again I had QJx. Odd. Hand dealt I suppose. Declarer won in hand with the ace and advanced the six of hearts from dummy.

"In hand" we said – so West played ace and another heart, partner showing an even number as I won the king. No rush I thought and continued a club. Oops…

Love All,
Dealer West
  • KJ84
  • 72
  • A2
  • 109862
  • A107652
  • AQ985
  • J
  • A
N
W
E
S
  • Q
  • J106
  • Q10843
  • K753
  • 93
  • K43
  • K9765
  • QJ4

Away went the losing diamond.

Three spades snuck home now though we got a few matchpoints as hearts makes more. Note if you will, when declarer thought she was on table, did she try to cash the club king? No. Did she try to run the heart knave? No – she played the innocuous heart six. Looks like a coffee-house to me - ever been had?

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