Star-News – Sep 22, 1971
One of the more fascinating subjects regarding play and defense is the ruff and sluff. This play when committed voluntarily by a defender is generally regarded as the mark of a tyro. There are occasions, however when it is not only not a blunder to present declarer with an otherwise unobtainable discard but it may be the only defense to avoid surrender on the deal.
Today’s six club contract is an excellent case in point.
West opened the bidding with four hearts to make life difficult for his opponents and he lured North into making an unsound double, holding 14 high card points and a balanced hand, North should have been content at pass and play for a modest profit on the deal.
Although his double is primarily intended for penalties, partner is not bound to pass. South had so much distribution, including the void in hearts and a semi-solid six card suit that he can hardly be blamed for bidding six clubs.
If North had another spade honor the slam would have been virtually unbeatable
West led the king of hearts, which South ruffed in his hand. South tested trumps by cashing the ace then overtaking his queen with North’s king. The suit divided evenly. A heart was trumped and dummy was reentered with the queen of diamonds to ruff out the last heart as East followed suit each time dropping the ace on the third round.
The king of diamonds was cashed on which West discarded a spade South now knew his opponent’s exact distribution. West had started with two clubs, one diamond, seven hearts and three spades. As he had made a vulnerable four heart opening on a suit headed by the king-queen South presumed that West also had strength in spades.
Dummy was entered with the ace of diamonds and a small spade was returned. When East followed with the six, South played the nine and West was in with the queen. Realizing that a heart return would give his opponent a ruff and sluff, West led back a small spade. The three was played from dummy and South topped East’s ten with the jack. Declarer ruffed a diamond in dummy and claimed the balance with trumps.
Had West committed one of the “cardinal sins of bridge” by giving his opponent a ruff and sluff. it would have led to the defeat of the contract.
South actually had two losers one in spades and one in diamonds. The diamond can always be ruffed in dummy but he can’t ruff out both cards since North had only one trump left. If West returns a heart and South ruffs with the nine of clubs, he can discard either a spade or a diamond from his hand, but he is left with a loser which must eventually be conceded.