MSO World: Bridge Articles

Of course, this is not because Slope is having an affair with his wife; the humiliation Charles regularly has to undergo when facing Slope at the bridge table is far more significant.

Charles narrates the action from a late-night drinking and bridge session.

8 7

9 7 2

K Q J 6 5 4

	N
W		E
	S

A 6 3

6 5 4 3 2

K J

Q 3

J 10 8 6 5 4

A 10 9 8 7

3 2

K Q J 10 9 5 4

A Q 10 9

A K

South	West	North	East
2	Pass	2	Pass
2	Pass	3	Pass
3	Pass	3	Pass
6	All Pass

Slope led the 2 against my slam. His partner won with the ace and returned the J. My only hope was to cross to dummy's 8, take the heart finesse and pray for an impossibly favourable layout.

I suggest that, even after seeing all four hands, you cannot imagine any reason why this line should fail. However, when I advanced the 5, Slope, with a glazed expression, a disgusting belch and a drunken apology, clumsily dropped the A! As I took the trick on the table, my prospects soared, for I needed only to find East with three or more clubs to make the slam.

When he ruffed the third round, a snigger from Slope informed me that once again I had wrested defeat from the jaws of victory.

"It was double dummy," he chortled. "Your refusal to use Blackwood marked you with a club void. The setting trick could only come from hearts, but my holding indicated that you would require only one lead from dummy to bring in the suit. So I had to offer you a more attractive losing alternative. As usual, you seized it with both hands."

"But when you played the ace of clubs you pretended to be drunk."

"I didn't pretend, Charlie. I was. In fact, I still am, a little."

"In that case your rationale for playing the ace was too damned clever."

"Not for an expert."