Susanna Gross

Bridge | 25 September 2014

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Alexander Larman

What happened to the Rishi Sunak I knew at school?

Andrew’s 3♦ was forcing and Kitty’s 4♥ was a splinter. At rubber bridge it’s usually wise to settle for a small slam unless you can literally count 13 tricks. West led the A♥. Andrew ruffed. He then played a low trump from both hands! It was a perfect safety play against a 4–1 split — and necessary too, as it turned out. You can’t cash the ♣Q and then duck a club as East will of course play a third trump. Nor can you cash three top trumps after ruffing a second heart as there’s no hope of pitching your third heart on a diamond or a spade before East gains the lead. As it was, there was no defence after a trump was ducked: whatever the return, Andrew could ruff one more heart, draw trumps and claim.

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