Sunday, December 16, 2001		Bridge

I LIKE to think that East planned his deceptive defence on this week's deal very carefully but I do not know for sure. His partner took me on one side afterwards and said, "You think he actually planned something? Why, he just forgot what trumps were!" West, however, is a well-known joker at the bridge table — shall we give East the benefit of the doubt?

South dealt at love all and opened One Spade which North raised to Three Spades. Both of them did a little too much bidding after that and the final contract was six Spades. (We have all been in worse slams.)

West led the Jack of Clubs and South won with the Queen. It was a good start and it looked as though he would be able to ruff his losing Club on the table and discard his losing Hearts on the top Diamonds.

The only problem lay in adoiding the loss of two trump tricks. Declarer started by playing off his Ace of Clubs and (after the fall of East's King) trumping his last Club with dummy's nine of Spades.

It seemed clear to declarer that it was West who had started with both the missing trump honours so, perhaps, playing a little carelessly, he came to hand with the Ace of Spades and led another Spade, only to find East with two sure tricks.

And if East had over-ruffed the third round of Club? Almost certainly declarer would have crossed to the table and finessed successfully against the King of trumps to make his slam.