Strange Play

Pages: Page 5 of 5

Dealer: South
Vuln: Game All
Scoring: IMPs
  1. spadeK 9 5
  2. heartK J 10 5 4
  3. diamondK 8 5 4 3
  4. club—
  1. spadeA 3 2
  2. heartQ 7
  3. diamond7 6 2
  4. clubA Q J 10 5
club diamond heart spade NT
N - 2 3 6 1
S - 2 3 6 1
E 2 - - - -
W 2 - - - -
Green square in centre
  1. spade4
  2. heart9 8 6 2
  3. diamondQ J 10 9
  4. clubK 8 6 3

Contract: 6spade
Declarer: South
Lead: spade2
  1. spadeQ J 10 8 7 6
  2. heartA 3
  3. diamondA
  4. club9 7 4 2
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
1spade
2club 2heart 3club 3spade
Pass 5club* Pass 5NT~
Pass 6spade End

* exclusion Blackwood
~ two aces

The Austrians Gloyer and Schifko did very well to reach the slam, but there the praise must end. The lead was indeed a small spade, won by dummy's nine. Schifko must have suspected a three-one trump break as West would be unlikely to lead a low one from spadeAx and East would be unlikely to duck with a similar holding. Declarer now made the strange play of cashing heartA, heartK, diamondA - ruining his fragile communications in the process. A belated spade was won by West who continued with club10. After ruffing in dummy, declarer had no way of drawing trumps and South drifted two off - very expensive as the Bulgarians had missed the slam.
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