“Those optometry jokes are getting cornea and cornea.” graffiti.

An expert declarer can create optical illusions, inducing the defenders to go wrong. In today’s deal, many Souths would have opened 1NT, roughly describing their strength and shape in a single bid. (I suspect that 1NT would end the auction; North would not be strong enough to try for game.)

When South actually opened one spade, and North bid two spades, South’s 2NT tried for game and suggested balanced pattern with stoppers in every suit. Then North liked his four trumps, side-suit kings and possible ruffing feature in diamonds, and jumped to four spades. West led the king of diamonds.

South took the ace and needed a bit of luck. He had a club and a diamond to lose, so he needed to hold his trump losers to one and also avoid a heart loser. He led the ace and a second trump and was gratified to see the king and queen fall as one.

West next cashed his queen of diamonds, and South followed with ... the jack.

There was no optometrist handy, so it looked to West as if South had no more diamonds, and to lead a third diamond would concede a ruff-sluff that might sabotage the defense. So West shifted to a club. East won and returned a club, and South won with the queen and pitched a heart on dummy’s king. Making four.

Maybe West’s vision was blurry, but South gets credit for creating an effective illusion. If South follows with his six on the second diamond, West will exit with a third diamond, and the defense wins two more tricks.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

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