Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Partners' trust leads to defense gem Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 15:00:28 EST Message-ID: Lines: 43 \SE B;METROPOLITAN;COMICS;BRIDGE \HD Partners' trust leads to defense gem \BY Stephen Goldstein \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES West led the three of hearts. Cooperative defense requires trust. E-W found the only way to defeat four spades because each trusted the other to defend a certain way. Today's deal comes from a recent sectional tournament. After two passes, South pre-empted to four spades, ignoring the unlikely chance for a slam. West led a heart, trying to develop some tricks in that suit. East won dummy's queen with her ace. She shifted to a low diamond, covered by declarer's jack and won by West's ace! West led the queen of diamonds, which East overtook with her king. East led a third diamond for West to ruff. West shifted to a club, which declarer won with her ace. South took the remaining tricks but was down one. The defenders triumphed because West realized that her partner's lead of a low diamond implied a high honor in that suit. If East had the ace of clubs and no diamond honor, she would have led a high diamond spot to deny interest in the suit. East knew that West would not have employed the strategy of winning with the ace and returning the queen unless she had only two diamonds and was unblocking for East. On a black suit lead, declarer's work would have been easy. She would draw a round of trumps, then cash the ace of clubs, get to dummy with the seven of spades and toss a losing diamond on the king of clubs. Even if dummy had no fast entry to the king of clubs, declarer could make the contract by drawing trumps, cashing the ace of clubs and forcing out the ace of hearts. Because the diamond suit would block, the defenders would only be able to take two tricks there. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM