Source: Eugene Register-Guard – Jul 17, 1970 When a bridge expert tells you about one of his favorite hands and relates that he played it in a tournament a few years, ago, don’t question him too narrowly. If you force him to admit that he made the hand up, he may ask equally embarrasing questions about your own favorite hands. This explains why I can’t tell you exactly when and where Swedish expert Jan Wohlin pitied today’s hand. Dealer South. N/S Vul
Q J 9 5 A Q 10 6 6 Q 8 6 2
7 6 J 9 8 5 2 K Q J A K J 10 8 4 3 2 7 4 3 7 5 3 2 10
A K K A 10 9 8 4 9 7 5 4 3
West North East South
1
1 1 Pass 2
Pass 3 Pass 4
5 Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: K West led the king of diamonds, and Wohlin won with the ace. West was a conservative player and had doubled with a very decisive air, Wohlin told me, so it wasn’t hard to place him with A-K-J of clubs. Now that You know how Wohlin placed the missing cards, you can easily work out the winning line of play. Try it for yourself before you read on. Wohlin began by leading the king of hearts to dummy’s ace. Then he ruffed a low heart and led a club toward dummy. West stepped up with the king of clubs, and East dropped the ten, much to Wohlin’s relief. West led the queen of diamond to make dummy ruff. Now the plot was clear. If South got to his hand and led another club, West would take the ace of clubs and lead another diamond to make dummy ruff with the queen. That would set up West’s jack of clubs as the setting trick. Wohlin ruffed the ten of hearts, cleared the top spades out of, the way, led the ten of diamonds to ruff out West’s jack, and ruffed dummy’s queen of hearts. Then Wohlin led one of his two good diamonds. If West discarded, dummy would also discard, and South would lead the other diamond. If West ruffed low, dummy would overruff and lead a good spade. If West ruffed high, dummy would discard; and declarer would easily make the rest. Not exactly the kind of hand you want to play after a long day’s work. Don’t forget to follow us @

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