I’m on the train back from the Brighton Congress, where I’ve been playing in the Swiss Pairs, and I’m still kicking myself over the very last deal of the tournament. There are few things more satisfying in bridge — well, in life actually — than squeezing an opponent, and I squandered a perfect opportunity. It was only a matter of an overtrick — but in match-pointed pairs, one extra trick can net you the jackpot.
Take a look at the South hand below: would you have been alert to the fact that the seemingly innocuous two of hearts could be used to devastating effect?
Playing strong no-trump and 2-over-1 game forcing, my partner and I bid to 3NT. West led the ♥9. I played dummy’s ♥J. East won with the ♥A and returned the ♥3. I won with the ªK, and played four rounds of spades, taking the marked finesse, and discarding the ♥2 on the fourth round. East’s first discard was the ♣3: as they were playing reverse attitude, this suggested that he held the ♣K.
Next I cashed four rounds of diamonds (good to see them behaving so nicely) and the ♥Q, leaving myself with ♣106 opposite ♣AQ. East was left with ♣KJ — and naturally he won the ♣K. Eleven tricks made. Only now did I see my mistake: where was my ♥2 when I needed it? Had I discarded a club on the fourth spade instead, I’d have been left with ♣10 ♥2 opposite ♣AQ. And East? On the last diamond he would have been forced either to chuck his winning heart or bare his ♣K —12 tricks in the bag.
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