Bridge is not an easy game – it can make the best players appear foolish.
This deal from the McConnell final was error strewn:
With a horrible hand to lead from East went with the [D]4 (nothing is guaranteed to defeat the contract, although starting with the [C]A and continuing the suit might force declarer to play very well. She wins with dummy’s [C]K and plays a heart but if West takes the ace and plays a third club declarer must ruff with the [H]K. She must then run the [S[H]Q before exiting with a trump to endplay East. If West does not rise with the [H]A declarer must put up the king in order to get home. In the Roseblum both declarers went down in 4[H] after the lead of the [C]A). Declarer put in dummy’s ten and when it held she continued with a diamond to the ace and ruffed a diamond with dummy’s [H]3. West overruffed and after considerable thought cashed the [H]A before switching to a club, East winning and returning a club. Declare won with dummy’s king, cashed the [S[H]A and then tried to get to hand by ruffing a club, East’s overruff representing the setting trick.
Declarer’s first mistake was not to ruff the third diamond with the [H]9. If she does that, then she will still need to take the right view in clubs, but at least she will not give the defenders a sure route to success.
Having overruffed, West needs to find a club switch. East wins and returns a club and declarer wins with dummy’s king and plays a heart. West wins with the ace and now a third club promotes East’s [H]Q.
Having survived that, declarer only needed to return to hand with a spade ruff in order to draw the outstanding trump.
One more thing before we move to the other table – suppose East drops the [S[H]K under the ace? Then declarer might easily go wrong.
Here too East led a diamond and declarer won with dummy’s queen and ran the [H]9. East won and now does best to return a heart, holding declarer to nine tricks, but she switch to the ace of clubs and a club and declarer could ruff her losing diamond for a tenth trick.
