extracted of: Aunt Agatha Plays Tournament Bridge
Love All, dealer: South
 10 6 3 A J A J 9 8 A 9 8 5 |
||
| Q 9 5 2 10 8 7 6 4 5 3 6 2 |
– K 3 2 K Q 10 7 6 4 2 7 4 3 |
|
| A K J 8 7 4 Q 9 5 — K Q J 10 |
| West | North |
East | South |
| Aunt Agatha | |||
| — | — | — | 2* |
| Pass | 3 |
4 |
4 |
| Pass | 5 |
Pass | 5 |
| Pass | 6 |
The End |
* Strong hand and good suit.
West led the the five of diamonds, and Aunt Agatha seems to be faced with two inescapable losers: Q and K. However, the diamond was ducked in dummy and East’s ten ruffed by South.
The A and a small spade gave West the lead once more, East discarding the seven of diamond and the three of clubs. No doubt West should have picked up her partner’s message (how else could he shriek for a heart?), but she woodenly continued with the 3.
This time Aunt Agatha played the A from dummy, discarded the 10 of clubs from her hand a drew trumps. On the fourth round of trumps Aunt Agatha discarded dummy’s J. Three rounds of clubs followed, dummy’s ace winning the third round, to leave this position:
| A J 9 9 |
||
| 10 8 7 6 |
– K 3 K Q |
|
| 8 Q 9 5 — |
The nine of clubs, on which Aunt Agatha threw the five of heart, cought East in a ruffing squeeze. If he played his small heart, South would cash the A leaving her hand high. If he threw a diamond, a diamond ruff would leave dummy high.