L’Etranger Plans the Play

E/W Vul
IMPs
Dealer: North
Lead: K

	pikachu K Q Q J 6 5 3 2 A 9 8 4 2
mgr777 9 8 A K 6 5 K 10 9 8 10 7 6		spikel 10 7 5 3 9 7 4 3 2 7 4 Q J
	Maestro A J 6 4 2 10 8 A Q J K 5 3

West Dbl Dbl Pass

North 1 Pass 3 Pass

East Pass 2 Pass Pass

South 1 3 4

 

Today our hero, sitting South, winds up in a good spade game after a normal auction. One could argue about West’s first double, which is thin but reasonable with North unlimited at unfavorable vulnerability. His second double is lead-directing in case N/S decide to play notrump.

The play is somewhat more interesting. West begins by cashing two hearts and can beat the contract by playing a third heart. This gives up a ruff-sluff but either promotes a trump trick for his partner or causes declarer to lose control of the hand. At the table it is far from obvious that this is the winning defense, and West can’t be greatly faulted for shifting to a diamond at trick 3.

Gee wins the DJ and proceeds to draw two rounds of trump with the KQ in dummy. He crosses to the CK, East dropping the queen, and plays a third high trump. West shows out, sluffing a heart. At this point the everyday expert might stop to consider the situation. West’s takeout double marks him with the DK. Unless East has all the remaining clubs the hand is now cold. Pull the last trump, sluffing the worthless diamonds from dummy, and duck a club. If West has four clubs, which is unlikely on the bidding but barely possible, he will be forced to insert an honor and be endplayed. Otherwise there are ten tricks.

Gee has something else in mind. He discards a club on the third round of trump, and another club on the fourth round. West errs by discarding his last heart, his only exit card, leaving this position.

	pikachu — — 6 5 3 A 9
mgr777 — — K 9 8 10 7		spikel — 9 7 2 7 Q
	Maestro 6 — A J 5 3

 

Even if West had correctly discarded a diamond on the fourth round of trump, a fifth round would strip-squeeze him. He’d be forced to part with his last heart or unguard one of the minors. But in the actual play West is already out of exit cards, and two rounds of clubs will force him to lead into Gee’s diamond tenace.

And in the actual play Gee, I report with some regret, does not play his last trump. He doesn’t play two rounds of clubs either. He plays the DA and another diamond, and West winds up with the setting trick in clubs at the end.

“Close,” Gee says ruefully to his partner after the hand, “but no cigar.”