Ascot Bridge Club
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"NIL DESPERANDUM "
Sometimes the best contract is not what you reach ! After the initial shock, one should always remember the old adage attributed to Caius Quintus Maximus III : " there is nothing quite like achieving the impossible ".The bidding : N E S W
4D p 4H p 4NT p 5D* p * = 1Ace 6H p p p
Nothing untoward thus far !!! The lead : S6 The play : Dummy S Q54 H 97 D K94 C A10732
Declarer S A H AKQJ3 D AJ763 C 85 Yes, find the DQ and 12 tricks are there .....
SA then 2 rounds of trumps .... and the bad news, trumps are 5-1 offside. At this point, the temptation to leave the table ,find the nearest pub and quietly die ,is immense... However , as Sebastian Wythenshaw once said ,when all around are losing their heads, it's time to run..... or something like that ! No I need a stroke of luck. If I play with confidence, speed and apparent certainty, maybe ,just maybe, I can induce an error in defence. Let's find the DQ and ... hope! D3 to DK and D return fetches DQ on my right. So the overcaller had 1H,2D and 10 cards in Black suits... hmm. Left-hand opp had 5H,3D and 5 cards in Black suits..... hmm. Not much help just yet..... Ah well,nil desperandum, play the Diamonds and see... From my right 2 spades , from my left 1 spade and encouraging club . Cannot believe that left-hand opp will discard all partner's suit when he no doubt expects to get in, so....... he had 4S,5H,3D and 1C , He now has 1S,3H and 1C. Cash top two Hearts and play club ; if RHO ruffs he leads S, I ruff and play a Club to Ace.. Come to think of it , it's already too late for the defence; Down to 3 cards, it doesn't matter whether they are the heart & 2 spades or 1 heart 1 spade and 1 club, the net result is the same , I must win 2 tricks. Full hand : S A H AKQJ3 D AJ763 C 85 S K10932 S J876 H 4 H 108652 D Q8 D 1052 C KQJ96 C 4 S Q54 H 97 D K94 C A10732 6D is actually much easier but not so much fun !? Submitted by Terry Meadows |