Excellent Card Play by Alan Sontag

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Sarasota Journal – 29 May 1981 by Oswald Jacoby and Alan Sontag

In todays hand, South overbid by at least a queen but made up for it by excellent card play.

North should have Blackwooded after South’s three heart bid, but he contented himself with a four club cue bid. East, fearing his partner might make a disastrous diamond lead, doubled to suggest a club was the correct lead.

This tactic back fired when South played the slam.aa

Declarer won the opening club lead with the king and drew trumps in three rounds, discarding a spade from the table. When South led a spade from the closed hand, West rose with the ace and played another club.

Declarer was not tempted to finesse because of East’s double and won the ace. Next. South cashed the spade king discarding a small diamond and ruffed a spade, East pitching a club.

The stage was now set for an elegant double squeeze. East was known to have the club queen because of his double and West had the spade jack, East had already shown out on the third round of spades.

South now led out his remaining trumps. This was the position before the last trump was played.

   10

 A 3
 J
 
 J

 Q 10 2

 

 9 7 4

 Q
 
 A
 K J 5

West had to discard a diamond on the ace of trumps to protect his spade and North pitched the now worthless ten of spades. Then it was East’s turn to squirm. He also had to discard a diamond to guard against dummy jack of clubs. Declarer then simply played ace and king of diamonds. knowing that the queen had to fall whether East or West had it.