Great   Deceptions

You are playing for America against the Italian "Blue Team". You are on VUgraph, and there is national pride at stake. This hand comes up in the heat of battle-

You are South, and you get to a 4 contract with no opposition bidding. The lead of the 2 hits the table. These are the hands:

Both Vul Dealer North K97 8 AKQJ5 A654 J1064 AQJ653 106 J

The 2 was led. The You naturally play small from dummy but the queen wins. A small spade is returned to West's ace!! West exits a third spade and to your relief East follows. You take the heart finesse of course, and the 9 drops on your left. You cash the ace and West follows with the 10. What now ? East has K7 in trumps and to earn the accolades of the VUgraph kibitzers, you plan a trump coup. You need to shorten your trumps twice to get to the same length as East, with the lead poised in dummy. So without further ado you play your club to the ace, and ruff a club. Now a diamond to dummy and another club ruff. A further diamond will put you on the table and you will ram diamond winners until East's trump holding condenses to 1 trick. You pat yourself on the back in advance. Yes... No such luck, you have been duped! See further on for the full hands...

You are playing in the European Championships. South to your right is the late Cornelis "Bobby" Slavenberg, of the Netherlands. You know he is an expert.

Dealer is you, as West, and you are vul against not.

E-W Vul West Dealer DUMMY AQ64 Q4 K52 K952           Y O U 982 K97 964 AJ63

The bidding was: WEST Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass NORTH 1 3 4 NT 6 EAST Pass Pass Pass Pass SOUTH 2 3 5 Pass You decide to lead the 4. It goes 2, 7, 8. Declarer now plays the 4 from hand. Your play ?

Contract: 4 Lead: 2 K97 8 AKQJ5 A654   A52 1097 94 K10972 Q83 K42 8732 Q83   J1064 AQJ653 106 J

West was Benito Garozzo. Whilst he followed with the 9 and 10 when trumps were played, he unearthed a third trump, the 7, and ruffed your third diamond!!! One Down! In the other room Giorgio Belladonna was declarer. He received the kindly lead of a club. He won the ace, hooked the trump knave, cashed the ace, and gave up a trump. 5-up.

Well, what did you do?

Taking the club ace in thin air may give declarer two club tricks, and the contract. And ducking may not cost since you trade one trick with another. Yes?

Contract: 6 DUMMY AQ64 Q4 K52 K952   Y O U 982 K97 964 AJ63 EAST J10753 J8653 7 Q7   BOBBY K A102 AQJ1083 1084

Bobby Slavenberg won the trump lead and immediately advanced a small club before you realised what is going on. A testy decision, yes... At the table, West ducked. Bobby won the king, returned to hand with a trump, cashed the spade king, and played a third trump to dummy's king. He now cashed the top spades pitching his clubs. A club ruff to hand followed and Bobby played a small heart from hand. 6 bid and made!