Spokane Daily Chronicle – 21 Dic 1976
When the opponents reach game without appearing to have the necessary high cards, they often have distributional features to compensate and hope to score tricks with ruffs. An effective counter is to lead trumps at every opportunity. An internationalist failed to follow tins principle and paid dearly on this hand.
North’s double was rather light, but at this vulnerability there is some excuse for getting into the auction early—and getting out just as fast. North would surely have liked to defend against four clubs, but we don’t fault South for bidding the heart game—it seemed that the North-South hands would mesh perfectly.
Had West attacked with ace, king and another trump, North would have rued his decision to compete. But West led the ace of diamonds and, still falling to grasp the necessity of a trump shift, continued with the queen of diamonds. Declarer decided that, since West did not lead his partner’s suit, he was probably void.
His distribution, therefore, appeared to be 5-4-4-0, and in that case the contract could no longer be touched. Declarer ruffed the queen of diamonds in dummy, returned to his hand with the king of spades and ruffed his remaining low diamond. Now he led the queen of hearts.
In practice, West allowed the queen to win, but no defense would avail. Declarer led a spade to the queen, cashed the king of diamonds, then finessed the ten of spades and discarded his club loser on the ace of spades. Now he was down to nothing but trumps. all high except for the ace-king The defenders scored only the two red aces and the king of trumps.