Well Known Ruse

Pages: Page 4 of 4

Dealer: North
Vuln: Love All
Scoring: Pairs
  1. spade3
  2. heartJ 10 5 2
  3. diamondJ 7 5 3
  4. clubJ 8 7 2
  1. spadeA 9 7 5
  2. heartK Q 6 3
  3. diamond9 6
  4. clubA K 9
club diamond heart spade NT
N - - - - -
S - - - - -
E 4 7 6 7 7
W 4 7 6 7 7
Green square in centre
  1. spadeK Q 10 4
  2. heartA 8
  3. diamondA K Q 10 8
  4. club6 5

Contract: 7spade
Declarer: East
Lead: heart4
  1. spadeJ 8 6 2
  2. heart9 7 4
  3. diamond4 2
  4. clubQ 10 4 3
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
1diamond Pass
2NT* Pass 3spade Pass
4club~ Pass 4NT Pass
5heart# Pass 5NT Pass
6heart! Pass 7spade End

* Baron, 16+ balanced
~ cue-bid agreeing spades
# 2 key cards, no spadeQ
! 2 kings

Declarer won heartA and cashed spadeK, on which South false-carded with spade8. This is a well known ruse in expert circles, designed to deflect declarer from playing the suit in the winning way.

Had East played for North to have started with spadeJ632 there would have been a different story, but declarer was suspicious of the non-trump lead and continued with spadeQ. He followed by finessing against South's jack and drawing the last trump, but meanwhile North was coming under pressure and had discarded three clubs, so when East cashed clubAK North was squeezed in the red suits. EW + 1510.
Note: Having finessed against spadeJ East could have ruffed a club in hand for an alternative 13th trick.
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