Bridge: Deceptive defence

THE SIGHT of the 4 3 2 of trumps in dummy did not suggest a reverse dummy play to declarer on the deal below, but it could have led to an overtrick. Instead South met a slightly deceptive defence and ended by losing his contract.

Love all; dealer South

North

4 3 2

Q 5

10 9 7 4

A Q 10 8

West

J 9

J 7 6 4 2

K J 5 2

5 2

East

K Q 10

K 10 8

Q 8 6 3

7 6 3

South

A 8 7 6 5

A 9 3

A

K J 9 4

Playing five card majors South opened One Spade and was raised to Two Spades. South made a try for a spade game by bidding Three Clubs and, with his good fit in partner's second suit, North advanced to Four Spades. West led the jack of spades and East followed suit with the queen. Declarer held off this trick but won East's continuation of the king of trumps with his ace.

It certainly looked as though West held the outstanding trump, so South led a low heart from hand. He reasoned that if West held the king of hearts there would be no need to ruff a heart, while if East held the king he would have no trump to return and the third heart could be safely ruffed in dummy.

You can see what happened: the queen of hearts lost to the king, East drew dummy's last trump, and South ended with only nine tricks.

Once all had followed to the second trump the contract was assured. Declarer cashes the ace of diamonds, enters dummy three times in clubs, ruffing a diamond each time. A fourth club follows and, even if East does not ruff, he can be put on lead with the last trump. With nothing but hearts left he has to open the suit and declarer makes the last two tricks.