Experts also make mistakes V

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Alfred Sheinwold
Alfred Sheinwold

The Morning Record – 30 Nov 1965 By Alfred Sheinwold

If you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about a misplayed bridge hand, relax and go back to sleep. Even the best players in the world are guilty of mistakes. For example, take the hand shown today, played in a match between Great Britain and France.

South Dealer; Both sides Vulnerable

Opening lead: 9

An English expert doubled four spades and opened the nine of hearts. Declarer, a famous French master, took the first trick in dummy with the ace of hearts and returned a spade to force out the ace. West returned his other heart, and East continued with a third heart to put South’s trumps in the middle.

If South ruffed low, West would over-ruff at once. South actually ruffed with the nine but eventually had to give up a trump trick to the eight; and West’s king of diamnnds took the setting trick. The average player might not blame himself for going down at four spades, but an expert has high standards and knows when he has blundered.

South made his mistake at the very first trick.

NOT A SINGLETON

There was no danger in refusing the first trick because West’s opening lead was not a singleton. If West held only one heart, East would have seven hearts headed by the K-Q-J, and would have been heard from during the bidding. South should refuse the first trick to cut communications between West and East.

Declarer takes the second heart with dummy’s ace and returns a trump to force out the ace. Now West cannot get to his partner’s hand, and the embarrassing third round of hearts cannot be led through declarer. South can regain the lead and draw all of West’s trumps. He then gives up a diamond and makes the rest with ease.