JOHNNY

LOOKS

AHEAD

AND

AVOIDS

THE

LOOMING

SMOTHER

PLAY........

In a top class competition Johnny Supremo demonstrated his defensive prowess on the hand above. South plays in 6 spades and Johhnny is sitting East. The contract appears doomed , for declarer must lose a diamond trick ,  and West's trump king appears to be sufficiently protected to elude capture by normal finessing.

However , in this field declarers were red hot , and nearly all received an opening 4 of diamonds lead. After winning with the Ace,  the 10 and 9 of spades were immediately finessed , with West declining to cover. Then came three top clubs, followed by two top hearts and a heart ruff by declarer. At trick 10 the ace of diamonds is played and the trap was now set for a well executed smother play.

When East is thrown in with the queen of diamonds , he is obliged to lead a heart . This will be ruffed by South with the jack of spades and West is powerless to stop declarer making the last two tricks. If he covers declarer is straight in which the Ace, and the queen is good : if he under-ruffs his King falls under dummy's Ace next trick .

So what then happened on Johnny's table ? At trick 3 on the second round of spades Johnny jettisoned his quuen of diamonds , therefore avoiding the throw-in at trick 11. Now when the diamond trick is conceded ,  it is West who wins it with the 9 , enabling him to play a low spade to dummy's Ace to establish his trump king for the setting trick.

Such great defence......foresight and genius combined.