Bridge

THIS DEAL from match-play, put me in mind of my erstwhile partner, Albert Dormer, who (playing in a pairs event) once reached a hopeless grand slam in no-trumps. After studying dummy, he gravely ducked the first trick! - correcting the timing for an obscure squeeze to escape for one down and so equalling the score of the majority of declarers who had also failed by one trick in their more modest small slams. On this deal, however, both North-South pairs reached Six Spades and West led the king of hearts. There were only 11 top tricks and the best chance of a 12th lay in finding West in control of both red suits when a squeeze would operate. The declarer at my table (I was West) decided to duck the heart lead - rectifying the count, as he thought. This was not a success for it was not difficult for me to lead a second heart. Partner ruffed and it was all over.

At the other table declarer was a little more far-sighted when he realised that, if indeed West held the diamonds as well as the queen of hearts, there would be no need to correct the timing and run the risk of a ruff. He won the first trick, drew trumps, and cashed dummy's ace of clubs. Then he ran the rest of his trumps, coming down to HJ54 DQ5 in hand, H8 DAK82 in dummy, and leaving West to find a discard from HQ10 DJ976. When he parted with the 10 of hearts, it was easy to concede a heart to the queen and claim. A neat example of a squeeze without the count.