Bridge Puzzle

Opening lead: four of clubs.

This dramatic deal occurred in the semifinal round of the Spingold Teams many years ago. It features a bad play by declarer that should have cost him the contract, followed by a good recovery that resulted in his making the contract.

West led a club against five spades, declarer playing low from dummy. When East won with the ace, South falsecarded with the jack. Had South followed with the seven of clubs instead of the jack, he would have made the contract due to a lucky lie of the clubs that would have allowed him to score two club tricks instead of just one.

East shifted to the king of hearts at trick two, West ruffing South’s ace. It seems normal for West to play the ace of diamonds at trick three, but when he did so, it cost him the contract. Had West led a trump or a low club instead, South would have gone down one.

Declarer ruffed the ace of diamonds high, led the three of trumps to dummy’s seven, ruffed another diamond high, led the four of trumps to dummy’s five and ruffed a third round of diamonds. He then cashed three more rounds of trumps, producing this position:

South now led his last trump, and poor West was squeezed. Whatever he discarded, declarer would win the last three tricks. So South wound up making five spades after all — the hard way.

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