This hand is from an expert level team event in Europe. When the hand was first played, the East-West pair played the hand at four hearts. South led the six of clubs and the defense was able to defeat the game by one trick. In the post mortem, it appeared that the North-South hands, with only 17 high card points, could come to ten tricks in spades.
In fact, four spades in the South was the final contract when the hand was replayed. While the declarer did the best that he could, he only scored nine tricks and this contract was defeated as well. Take a moment and see if you can determine what the defense did to beat four spades.
West led the ace of diamonds. East could see no reason to keep the king of diamonds. Hoping that West had the queen of diamonds, he played the king under the ace. West continued with the queen and the jack. On the third diamond, East discarded a club. South trumped and led a spade to the jack and the ace. East got off lead with a heart. South tried to cash the top two clubs but East was able to trump the second club for down one.
As strange as it may seem, if East does not jettison the king of diamonds, there is no way to beat four spades.
District 5 of the American Contract Bridge League held the Rock and Roll Regional Bridge Tournament in Independence on January 11 - 15. The following players were successful in their respective events on January 11. Additional results will be listed in future columns. Two Session Stratified Pairs (42 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Loretta Fiavre, Huron, and Joseph Radvansky, Marblehead. 2. James and Carolyn Sullivan, Richfield. Stratum B. 1. Riavre and Radvansky. 2. Jack and Vicky Goodykoontz, Morgantown, WV. Stratum C. 1. Doris Kirsch, East Springfield, PA, and Marc Sylvester, Edinboro, PA. 2. Jean Sulzberger, Aurora, and Marjorie Zimmerlin, Chagrin Falls.
Evening Statified Swiss Teams (20 teams). Stratum A. 1. Bruce Keidan, Herbert Sachs, and S. Ruskin, Pittsburg, and Dale Beers, Boiling Springs, PA. 2. Fred Eberlin, Lyndhurst, Edia Shai and Diane Wasserman, University Heights, and Mina Ronen, Akron. Stratum B. 1. Chet Jain, Willoughby, Alex McCrea, Shaker Heights, Virginia Colville, East Cleveland, and Subramania Krishnamurthi, Naperville, IL. 2. Roz Wolf, Beachwood, Peta Moskowitz, Cleveland, Terry Goulder and Diane Peltz, Solon. Stratum C. 1. Wolf, Moskowitz, Goulder and Peltz. 2. Linda and James Stahl, Chagrin Falls, Thomas and Janet Rice, Cleveland. Afternoon Stratified Pairs (28 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Edia Shai, University Heights, and Mina Ronen, Akron. 2. Walter Callum, Aurora, and Charles Callum, Bloomfield Hills, MI. Stratum B. 1. Callum and Callum. 2. James and Sara Buford, Lorain. Stratum C. 1. The Bufords. 2. Dot Rock, Cleveland, and Kurt Rusch, Mayfield Heights. Evening Stratified Pairs (22 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Robert Urmanic, Elyria, and Pat Harrison, Brunswick. 2. Robert Carroll, Warren, and Bradley Sevcik, Boardman Stratum B. 1. Carroll and Sevcik. Tie for 2/3. Donald Barrick, Cleveland, and Henry Essig, Westlake, with Linda Evans, Monongahel, PA, and Mary Jo Johnson, Latrobe, PA.
Afternoon Non Life Master Pairs (18 pairs). Stratum A. 1.
Janet Auwerter, Gates Mills, and Lauro Ross, Solon. 2. Janet
Fitchko, Chagrin Falls, and D. Calco, Broadview Heights. Stratum
B. 1. Auwerter and Ross. 2. Laura Palascak, Rocky River, and
Raymond Palascak, Fairview Park.
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Bernstein is
a free-lance writer in Solon.
To reach Harvey Bernstein:
hjb0416@yahoo.com