Mind Games

Hi all

I’m indulging, [read sigh of complete satisfaction here.] But I don’t think I will be rested and recharged when I get back to Berkeley. It has been a wild stew of travel, beer, little sleep (in lots of different beds), and way too much attention. Thanks friends & family, you were all wonderful company!

You’re at the helm of a modest 2 contract.

West
North
East
South
 
 
 
pass
pass
1NT
pass
2
21
pass
pass
22
a.p.
 
 
 

1. Attempt at suicide, because red vs. white
2. Weak with both Majors

North
AJ9
AQ8
AJ42
JT9
South
QT83
T9532
6
762

West leads the 9 (zero or two above), and you see it’s a healthy contract. You win the Ace and ruff a to your hand, East showing up with the Queen. A small trump towards dummy and the King makes his appearance.

You take stock for a second. But that 1-4 trump break doesn’t pose a problem to you. Confident you have analyzed and formulated an endplay in trumps. You ruff another (East discarding a ), and you hook the , losing to the King. East now cashes Ace and Queen and continues a third for West’s King. You win the switch in dummy and this is the position:

North
9
Q8
J
South
QT
T9

Count complete, East is 3-4-2-4. Just string off your and when East ruffs he is endplayed to lead away from the Jack.

Wait…!

West has a small surprise up his sleeve. That trump King was accompanied by a small one all the time, so the third gets guerilla ruffed. And East still has a guarded trump Jack… Down 1.

South Dealer
EW Vul
North
AJ9
AQ8
AJ42
JT9
West
64
K7
KT9853
K53
East
K752
J64
Q7
AQ84
South
QT83
T9532
6
762

I don’t like to meekly lay my head low, so I smoothly inserted the King of trumps. Give the pot a good stir. And fortunately my RHO was of the right caliber to not panic and resolve the apparent trump position.

1 thought on “Mind Games”

  1. Hi Jannes,
    It was nice to see you again! And hopefully see you again at the end of the summer :-).
    I heard from Dennis that it was Remco you fooled in this 2 contract. That makes it even more likeable :-).
    But in the endposition you described, he should have made three tricks by playing trump to the queen and then playing spades, ruffing the last spade with the 8 of hearts. Three tricks assured when east has 3-4-2-4 ánd when he has 4-3-2-4.

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