Accommodating Opponent

Pages: Page 4 of 4

Dealer: South
Vuln: E-W
Scoring: IMPs
  1. spadeA 9
  2. heartA K Q 4
  3. diamondA 10 8 5
  4. clubA J 2
  1. spade8 6 3
  2. heartJ 9 7 6 3
  3. diamondK J 3 2
  4. club3
club diamond heart spade NT
N 3 6 4 6 6
S 2 6 4 6 6
E - - - - -
W - - - - -
Green square in centre
  1. spadeQ 7 2
  2. heart10 8 2
  3. diamond6
  4. clubK Q 10 9 7 6

Contract: 6diamond
Declarer: South
Lead: club3
  1. spadeK J 10 5 4
  2. heart5
  3. diamondQ 9 7 4
  4. club8 5 4
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
2spade*
Pass 2NT~ Pass 3diamond#
Pass 3heart~ Pass 3NT!
Pass 4club~ Dble Pass+
Pass 6diamond End

* 5+4, spades+minor
~ relay
# diamond suit
! 5-1-4-3
+ minimum

If you rose with spadeA and led a small diamond from dummy, you have done very, very well, for East shows out! You win diamondQ, finesse against the diamondJ and draw trumps. All that remains is to finesse against East's spadeQ and pray for a 3-3 spade break - plus 920, no sweat.

In reality, this line would be almost impossible to find at the table, but if South had asked himself why has West been so accommodating in returning a spade rather than exiting with a heart, there might have been a different story. As it was, hats off to West for his fine piece of deception - my favourite topic - at the bridge table.
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