Ludington Daily News – Apr 15, 1994
One of the greatest composers of bridge deals was Hungarian Robert Darvas. But today’s deal which he described. occurred at the table. I have a sneaking suspicion that Darvas was the declarer.
West led the club eight. East studied this for some time and then covered with the nine. South had three top losers.
He had to avoid a second heart loser: either from a club ruff by West or via a trump pro motion if West had A-10-x of hearts.
It was clear that if Sur played a trump now, West would win with the ace and collect the fatal club ruff.
Instead, declarer played a spade to dummy’s king, cashed the spade ace, discarding the club king, and played a third spade, discarding his last club.
Lucky that West couldn’t unblock, South had cut the defenders’ communication with a Scissors Coup. West returned his second club, ruffed by Sur. Declarer saw that he still couldn’t afford to lead a trump. West would win with the ace and cell with the ace and another diamond. Trapped in the dummy, declarer couldn’t stop Oeste’s heart 10 from winning the setting trick.
Correctly South led a diamond toward dummy’s king. But incorrectly he led the nine. West grabbed his chance, moaning with the 10. After winning with dummy’s king declarer played a trump to his king. However, West won with the ace and underled his diamond honors.
East won with the eight and returned a club, promoting the heart 10. As Darvas said, playing the diamond nine was like kicking over a tall bucket of milk after a long and tedious milking.