When two people love each other, nothing is impossible — except deciding where to eat out and always defending well against partscore contracts.
Today’s East-West were a married couple. Against two hearts, West led a diamond, and East took the ace and returned the three. West won and continued with the four, a suit-preference signal to suggest an entry in clubs. East ruffed and duly led a low club.
West won and led a fourth diamond, and East ruffed with the queen of trumps. But on that trick, South discarded his last club. He ruffed the club return, drew trumps and claimed eight tricks.
«You’re taking me to my favorite place for dinner,» West sighed.
OVERRUFF
After East ruffs the third diamond, he must lead the king and a low club. West wins and leads a fourth diamond, and when East ruffs with the queen, South must overruff and lose a trump to West’s ten.
[box]A defensive principle: Before you try for an «uppercut» on defense, cash all your side-suit winners.[/box]