Tuesday 3 April 2012

JOHNNY IN A
CLASS OF HIS
OWN
...........

Class bridge players are
able to defeat contracts ,
which on paper seem
unbreakable. On board 17
every N/S pair reached 4S
after East had opened the
bidding ( including Bigot ).
On almost every table West
led a diamond with East quick
to jump in and take the first 2  tricks.The diamond continuation was      ruffed by declarer,  who then proceeded to lead his singleton heart, inserting the 10 from dummy. Most Easts foolishly rushed in with the queen , switching straightaway to a trump. Declarer of course played the king from hand, followed by a second spade to North's queen, clearing the suit in the process. Now came the ruffing finesse of East's Ace of hearts, and the contract came rolling in with losing clubs disappearing under North's established hearts.
But what of Johnny ? He took the 10 of hearts with his Ace, giving declarer a chance to go wrong. Not surprisingly his deceptive plan worked. At trick 4 he too returned a trump for declarer to clear the suit ending up in dummy. Now if West had Qx or Qxx in hearts it was game over for the defence. So he played off the King of hearts, pitching a club, and then played a low heart setting himself to ruff. Johnny calm and cool as ever played low on each occasion. When to declarer's great dismay the queen did not fall from West's hand, he found himself short of entries to set up a desperately needed parking space for his other losing club.  So Johnny yet again pulled out another top from nowhere to finish the night on 71%. 
Is there a better player on God's earth ? I don't think so......   

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