BRIDGE BITES from The American Contract Bridge League
DELIGHTFUL DECEPTION By: Brian Gunnell
The game of bridge is enriched by many beautiful plays and stratagems, and we all love to talk about our latest Trump Coup or Double Squeeze. But even that pales into insignificance when compared to the fun we get from hoodwinking the opponents with a deceptive play. There’s nothing a bridge player enjoys more than a little bit of larceny!
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♠ 652
♥ 874
♦ A654
♣ A64
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♠ AKJ
♥ 6532
♦ JT9
♣ 987
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North
West East
South
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♠ 43
♥ QT9
♦ Q873
♣ JT53
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♠ QT987
♥ AKJ
♦ K2
♣ KQ2
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The N-S auction goes 1♠-2♠-4♠. West leads ♦J and when Dummy goes down it’s apparent that the success of the contract depends upon not losing three Spades and one Heart. It’s a simple hand, wouldn’t you say? Declarer wins the Diamond lead in Dummy, and finesses the ♠T, losing to West’s Jack. Oh, well, now there are three sure trump losers and Declarer uses Dummy’s sole remaining entry to take the Heart finesse. That works, and it’s 10 tricks for Declarer, losing just three trumps.
Rewind! That was easy for Declarer, but only because West made it so. On the first round of trumps, when Declarer finessed the ♠T, a more wily West would have played the Ace (or King)! This doesn’t cost anything as West still scores three trump tricks eventually. Now, a bamboozled Declarer crosses to Dummy for the last time and repeats the Spade finesse (which he “knows” will work), rather than take the Heart finesse (which may not work). Beating 4♠ by one trick? A fine result! The look on Declarer’s face when the second Spade finesse loses? Priceless!
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