It is difficult to account for some of the strange things that happen at the bridge table. For example, take this deal from a team match.

Nothing much happened at the first table, where South got to four spades as shown. Aided by the bidding, he made five. He ruffed the second diamond, led a trump to the jack, finessed the queen of hearts, led a trump to the king, finessed the jack of hearts, drew trump, cashed his hearts and so finished with 11 tricks.

At the second table, the outcome was very different. West wound up at three notrump doubled, and North found the devastating lead of the nine of hearts.

South took dummy’s ten with the jack but made a grievous error when he continued with the ace and another heart. He was hoping to regain the lead with the ace of spades and then cash his established hearts.

After taking the king of hearts, West happily cashed five diamonds and five clubs to make the contract with two doubled overtricks for a resounding score of 1150 points. South’s good hearts and the ace of spades thus never saw the light of day.

It is hard to believe that one defensive slip could lose as much as 3150 points, but that is exactly what South’s failure to shift to a spade at trick two cost him.

With a spade return, North-South could have taken six hearts and five spades for down seven and 2000 points! Despite the misdefense, though, it does seem that the punishment more than fit the crime.

Tomorrow >> Famous Hand.

— Steve Becker