St. Petersburg Times – 10 Nov 2005
Benjamin Franklin said, “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.”
Well, hopefully you will think this column worth reading, as I judged South’s play worth writing mho.
The deal occurred during last year Cavendish Invitational in New York City. Sitting South was Gabriel Chagas, the small, dapper, mercurial Brazilian player who has such a high metabolic rate that after the evening session he eats enough food to satisfy two or three people with normal appetites.
East’s jump to two no-trump over North, takeout double showed diamond support. With a good balanced, hand, he would have redoubled.
Against five hearts, the defenders began with a top diamond, a club to the ace and the club queen. After winning with the club king and drawing two rounds of trumps with honors from hand, Chagas paused for thought.
He needed to establish a spade on which to discard the club 10. Normally one would play spades from the top, as any 3-3 or 4-2 break would allow one to establish and cash dummy’s jack.
However Chagas wondered about West’s decisions to open the bidding and to sacrifice in 5 diamonds at unfavorable vulnerability.
West didn’t have many high Cards, as East evidently had the three club honors. Therefore, West had to have a distributional hnd. Backing his judgment, Chagas played a spade to the king, a heart to his hand, and a spade to dummy’s Jack. When the finesse worked, declarer took his discard and claimed. Excellent!!!