Every time you make a bid you offer up information – and in the final of a world championship you can expect your opponents to take full advantage. This was the last deal of the second session:
East led the [S[H]7 and West took the ace and switched to the [D]10,covered by the king and ace. Declarer ruffed the next diamond in dummy, played a heart to the king, pitched a club on the [S[H]K, ruffed a spade, returned to dummy with a trump and ruffed a spade. With the elimination complete he decided to run the [C]J and East won and returned a club for one down. With East having kept silent over the weak notrump declarer not unreasonably went for the idea of playing West for the [C]AQ and East the [C]9.
It was a surprise when East decided to convert his partner’s double; 4[S[H] would be odds on to make. Still, 4[H] had to made and were West to find a low club lead declarer would have no chance. However, West started with the [D]9 and declarer ruffed the second diamond, took two rounds of hearts and then played the [S[H]J. West took the ace and exited with a spade and declarer won with dummy’s king pitching a club, ruffed a spade, went to dummy with a trump and ruffed a spade to reach the same position as his counterpart. He played a club to the king and exited with a low club, to endplay East for +590 and 12 IMPs.
