Bridge

ON THIS deal from match play one declarer had an easy run and made a comfortable overtrick in his game contract. It all seemed straightforward and he was not expecting to gain on the board, but his team-mate, sitting West at the other table, found a way of inducing the other declarer into error.

The bidding was the same in both rooms - South's One No-trump (15-17 points) was raised directly to game and West led the three of clubs against Three No-trumps. It was clear that the diamonds had to be developed so, after winning the lead in dummy, both declarers led the two of diamonds to their king.

At the first table West took his ace and led another low club but now, after winning, it was easy for South to come to hand with a spade before leading a second diamond. When West followed with the three, declarer put in dummy's nine. East won but had no more clubs to play and it was all over.

The other West found a much more imaginative defence - when the first diamond was led to the king, he allowed it to hold! Not unnaturally, declarer continued the suit and this time West followed with his jack. From South's point of view, all of this was perfectly consistent with West having started with + J 10 3 and East with + A 8. If that were the case, it would be fatal to play dummy's queen on the second round, so West's jack was allowed to hold. Gleefully, West now cleared the clubs while he still had the ace of diamonds as an entry. As a result, the defenders now came to five tricks.

North-South game; dealer South

] Q 8 3

_ 10 7 3

+ Q 9 6 4 2

[ A K

] 10 7 6 5

_ Q 9 6 5 2

+ 10 8

[ 8 4

] A K 4

_ A K 4

+ K 7 5

[ 10 9 7 6

] J 9 2

_ J 8

+ A J 3

[ Q J 5 3 2