Source:“Case for the Defense”Victor MolloWikipedia: “Victor Mollo (St Petersburg 17 September 1909 – London 24 September 1987) was a British contract bridge player, journalist and author. He is most famous for his “Menagerie” series of bridge books, depicting vivid caricatures of players with animal names and mannerisms through a series of exciting and entertaining deals—bridge fables of a sort. Mollo attended Cordwalles School but neglected his studies and devoted himself to bridge. As an editor in the European service of the British Broadcasting Corporation, he began to write books and articles on the game. After retirement in 1969, Mollo started to write even more extensively, and up to his death in 1987 he wrote 30 books and hundreds of articles. He was also active in developing bridge cruises, mostly in the Mediterranean.
Dealer West. N/S VUL
West
North
East
South
1
Pass
Pass
Dbl
2
Dbl
Pass
2
Pass
3
Pass
4
Pass
Pass
Pass
Contract: 4
J 9 8 7
Q
K J 5 3
Q J 8 4
2
9 8
A Q 10 9 8
A K 9 7 6
West leads theK.
East follows with the 10 and declarer with the 3.
At trick two West leads the A to which East follows with the deuce and declarer with the 4.
Which tricks will defenders make and in which order will they make them?
Answer:
A diamond, ruffed by East, them the A and another diamond ruffed by East.
The key to the defence lies in East’s pass over 2 doubled. Had he the three diamonds and only two clubs, he would have put West back to diamonds, the suit he bid first. Yet East’s 10 can only be a doubleton (or singleton). What, them, does the 2 imply?.
He cannot three diamonds and with two he would play high-low. So that deuce must be a singleton.
Q
