Best Defense of 1994: Zia Mahmood by Alan Truscott

Player: Zia Mahmood

Journalist: Alan Truscott

From The New York Times

The most brilliant defensive play at the American Contract Bridge League’s Summer Nationals in San Diago will very likely prove to be the best of 1994.  It occurred on the diagramed deal from an early round of the Spingold Knockout Team Championship and the hero was Zia Mahmood a colourful Pakistani expert who lives in Manhattan but is usually playing Bridge somewhere else.

Zia held the East hand and defended 3NT.  North’s 2 bid at his second turn was “new Minor forcing” asking South about his Major suit holdings.  West therefore led a Diamond since that was the only suit that had not been genuinely bid.

	AJ1063  K62  A106 107
Q73  J983  973  AK9		985  74  KJ54  Q863
	K2  AQ106  Q82  J542

South  West   North   East

1         Pass   1          Pass

1NT      Pass    2         Pass

2         Pass   3NT       Pass

Opening Lead:  3

First, consider how the play would have gone with normal defense. South plays low from Dummy and East wins the King and returns the suit. South sees that he can make at most eight tricks unless he brings in at least three Spade tricks so he plays for West to have the Q and finds he has ten tricks. That sequence was followed when Zia’s teammates held the North/South cards.

Zia Knew that the Spades were favorably placed so he tried to confuse the issue for Declarer.  When the 6 was played from Dummy Zia played the J. This play was not going to cost anything, whoever held the Q.

When South won the Q, he was convinced that the K was on his left, which meant that he could take three Diamond tricks, not two. This offered the prospect of taking seven Red suit tricks plus two Spade tricks, so he played three top Hearts. When the Jack failed to drop he confidently finessed the 10 and was considerably deflated when Zia produced the K and shifted to the Q, defeating the contract.

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