When deception is the only chance By Alfred Sheinwold

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The Day – 12 Nov 1981

South dealer,  both vulnerable

Lead: J

When deception is the only chance, the most likely victim is the opponent with the weaker hand. When today’s hand was played in a team match, the contract and opening lead were the same at both tables.

Declarer’s only chance was some kind of hocus-pocus in diamonds. The first declarer played the queen of diamonds. East, the opponent who had bid, won with the king of diamonds and had no trouble putting his fingers on the king of spades. As a result. South went down two instead of one.

The second declarer played dummy’s low diamond at the first trick, letting West win with the jack. East played the discouraging deuce, but West didn’t have enough high cards to know what the hand was all about.

West decided that it couldn’t do much harm to lead another diamond as long as he had won the first trick. South joyfully took the ace of diamonds and discarded the ace of clubs. Then he cashed two clubs to get rid of low spades and led trumps.