Source: The Palm Beach Post – 20 Dic 1968 In the 1968 team trials at Atlantic City every pair got to three no-trump with the North and South cards and four of them made the game. It really doesn’t require much skill to get these nine tricks. The ace and queen of diamonds, jack of clubs and king of spades are all placed where declarer wants them to be and there are nine tricks waiting, irrespective of which suit he works on. Nevertheless Billy Eisenberg and Bobby Goldman of Dallas managed to find a way to set 3NT. Dealer South E/W Vul
A 6 5 4 K 9 2 K 10 8 7 Q 8
3 8 6 5 4 A Q 2 A 7 5 4 2 K J 10 9 2 J 10 3 9 6 4 J 9
Q 8 7 A Q 7 J 5 3 K 10 6 3
West North East South
1
Pass 1 Pass 1NT
Pass 3NT Pass Pass
Pass Pass Pass
South won the heart lead with his queen and led the jack of diamonds. It would be silly to duck with Billy’s holding and other West’s players went up with the ace Billy compromised by playing the queen.
Billy Eisenberg & Bobby Goldman
Billy Eisenberg & Bobby Goldman
South’s next lead was dummy’s queen of clubs. Billy won this trick and led a second heart to South’s ace. South played the five of diamonds and Billy ducked this one. What card would you play from dummy if you were South? You can see that the 10 is the winning card but South didn’t play it. He decided that Bobby had ducked the first diamond with the ace. Therefore South called, for dummy’s eight. Bobby get a surprise trick with his nine and led his last heart to set up a 13er for Billy. South had nothing better to do than set up his own 13er in diamond. This put Billy in with the ace. He cashed his little heart for the fourth defensive trick and led his singleton spade. South could only duck in dummy and Bobby’s king of spades set the contract.