Toledo Blade – 6 Ago 1986
In nautical terms, to jettison means to throw, cargo overboard in an attempt to save as endangered ship by lightening its load. In bridge, it means to discard high cards to free others so they can take tricks. There are some very dramatic jettison plays involving dumping live winners from one hand or the other, but we prefer this quieter, more instructive version.
Had the vulnerability been reversed, North might have settled for a penalty double of West’s two-spade overcall. However, he judged that at this score the game bonus would be worth more than the set and that his five card suit plus honors in the other suits would be enough for his partner to make game.
West led the king of spades, and a careless declarer would see no problem. He would count one spade trick, two hearts, one diamond, and five clubs for a total of nine, and go down quickly.
However, the clubs will produce five tricks only if the suit breaks 2-2; if it splits 3-1, as is the case here, there are only four tricks to be had, for declarer will be forced to win the fourth round of the suit in hand and will have no way back to dummy to cash the long club.
Declarer found a pretty way out of this predicament. He allowed West to win the first trick and ducked again when West continued with the queen, he took the third spade with the ace, discarding a club from hand. Now, the ace, queen, and king of clubs drew the outstanding cards in the suit, and dummy’s long clubs could be cashed.
It might seem that West can foil declarer by switching at trick two, presumably to the king of diamonds. Not so. Declarer wins and returns a spade, allowing the defenders to win the trick! He wins any continuation. plays off the ace-queen of clubs and continues with a club to the king. Now declarer cashes the ace of spades, jettisoning his remaining club from hand, and takes nine tricks.