6th World Bridge Championships 1982, Biarritz
Board 28 of the second final session of the Open Pairs produced a series of spectacular defensive plays by my partner, Mike Lawrence, in the South chair.
Board 28 Dealer West N/S Vul
 K 9 7 2 4 2 9 7 6 A K 10 9 |
||
| A 10 6 3 Q 9 6 Q J 10 3 J 6 |
Q J 8 K 10 8 7 5 A K 8 4 2 |
|
| 5 4 A J 3 5 Q 8 7 5 4 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Kantar | Lawrence | ||
| Pass | Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2 |
3 |
| 3 |
Pass | 4 |
The End |
Declarer ruffed the opening 5 lead and ran the Q to my king. I continued a second club which declarer ruffed. At this point declarer erred.
The bidding had marked South with the A, and in order to retain control, the K ( should have been played. However, declarer led a low heart to the queen at once, giving Lawrence a chance to make newspaper columns around the world, as well as a shot at the BOLS Brilliancy prize. At this point the position was:
| 9 7 2 4 9 7 6 10 9 |
||
| A 10 6 9 6 Q J 10 3 |
J 8 K 10 A K 8 4 2 |
|
| 4 A J 5 Q 8 7 3 2 |
Realizing the danger of playing a second round of trumps (Lawrence draws trumps and scores five more club tricks!), declarer played the J followed by another spade.
If Lawrence ruffs declarer can ruff the club return in either hand and clear trumps to make his vote. Lawrence discarded a diamond. On the A Lawrence discarded a club.
Declarer began to play master diamonds. Lawrence discarded four more clubs: I ruffed the fourth diamond with my lowly four of hearts, and Lawrence took the last two trump tricks after having discarded six times to allow me to ruff once!