I liked this deal from the exciting first session of the Bermuda Bowl final partly because it contained an unusual defensive possibility but also because it involved a deal that might be useful for the second edition of The Mysterious Multi.
There is nothing wrong with having a five-card suit for a Multi, but perhaps South’s response is overdoing things as the hand looks defensive in nature.
East led the [D]K and switched to the [S]7, declarer winning in hand and playing the [D]J. East won and played the [S]6 to dummy’s ace. Declarer ruffed a diamond, cashed the [S]KQ and exited with a heart, but he was out of ammunition, the defenders taking the rest for four down, -800.
East led the [S]6 and declarer won with the eight and played the [D]J, East taking the queen and continuing with the [S]7 to dummy’s ace. East won the next diamond with the king and switched to the [C]J, three rounds of the suit seeing East ruff after which two rounds of hearts allowed West to play another club, promoting East’s [S]J for three down, -500 but a 7 IMP loss.
Suppose East were to start with the [C]J (unlikely, but it results in something nice!). After three rounds of the suit East, having ruffed, exits with a spade. Declarer wins in hand and plays a diamond and East wins and plays a second spade to dummy’s ace, apparently surrendering a trump trick. However, West takes the diamond continuation with the ace and plays a winning club reactivating East’s [S]J. Declarer will take only four tricks which would mean a flat board – unless EW found the same defence in the other room which would net -1100.
