Moscow-Pullman Daily News – 3 Oct 1995
What, according to Leon Trotsky, is the most unexpected of all the things that happens to a man?
In bridge, the expected happens most of the time. But you must be ready for the unexpected. On today’s deal, Alan Truscott, bridge columnist for The New York Times, overcame the unexpected 5-0 trump split.
South’s one-club opening bid was strong and artificial, showing any hand with at least 16 points. West’s two hearts was a weak jump overcall. North’s jump to four spades was ambitious, but he was lured by the vulnerable game bonus. After winning the first trick with dummy’s heart ace, Truscott played a diamond to his queen, cashed the diamond ace and ruffed the diamond nine in the dummy. Now came the spade 10, covered by the jack and queen. The good news was that West didn’t win with the king; the bad news was that he discarded a heart.
Truscott continued with a low club. (Here, playing the ace and another club also works, but leading the low club immediately “feels” right.) West had no riposte. He went in with the king and continued with the heart queen. Declarer ruffed, played a club to dummy’s queen, ruffed another heart and led the club ace. Truscott had 10 tricks: five spades in hand, the heart ace, two diamonds, one diamond ruff in the dummy and the club queen.
Trotsky claimed that old age is the most unexpected of all the things that happen to a man. Maybe that’s true for some people (and what about women?), but surely for every-one, the older you get, the quicker time passes