Source: http://www.bawa.asn.au/
| West | North | East | South |
3 |
3 |
||
| Pass | 5* |
Pass | 6 |
| All Pass |
* = asking for diamond control
Your opponents today are a pair of youngsters you haven’t met before. They seem very studious, and more dangerously, both are lefthanded.
Lead: 2. Plan the play.
Answer Below
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
In 6 there are two losers, the heart ace and a deep club.
You can overcome this problem with a device called the Morton Fork. The trick is to lead through the hand that has the heart ace … if the ace pops, then you have two pitches (long heart and a diamond) for your club losers, whereas if the ace is not taken, your second heart is discarded on the high diamond.
The only question is: who has the heart ace? Surely West, as East is less likely to pre-empt with two aces. So, after K, A, ruff, draw trumps, and play a heart towards the king. Whatever West does on this trick, your two losers are telescoped into one. Well played, but sadly you went one down. Do you see why?
Answer Below
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
East played low on your K at trick 1! He worked out from the bidding and the opening lead that you were void in diamonds, and forced you to take your discard immediately. Your Morton’s Fork has disappeared in a puff of smoke. You can prevent this devilry by playing low from dummy at trick 1, ruffing in hand. Then a low heart through West, and if he ducks, a later ruffing finesse in diamonds will dispose of the other heart loser.
The moral: Beware left-handed youngsters.