Sheinwold on bridge

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122

The Day – 8 Feb 1979

South dealer; Both sides vulnerable

South plays 4.

Opening lead: Q

Hide today’s hand from your bridge playing friends and spring the North and South cards on your favorite partner. Tell him it’s a test to separate bridge players from card pushers.

Your partner, taking the test, takes the ace of clubs. His next play tells him what he is. If he leads a low spade, he is a cardpusher.

East wins and returns a trump. Whether or not South finesses, the opponents will surely take both trumps out of the dummy, winning one trump trick and three spades.

No Better Off

South is no better off if East has the ace of spades; the defenders never have to lead spades. They just take the trumps out of dummy and lead clubs and diamonds. South must eventually lead spades again, losing two more tricks in the suit no matter who has the ace.

The bridge player leads the right card at the second trick : the king of spades. West must win and can afford to return a trump. South wins and leads another spade.

If West wins, he cannot afford to lead another trump from his king; if East wins; he has no trump to lead.