An unknown person said, "A magician pulls rabbits out of hats. An experimental psychologist pulls habits out of rats."
Sidney Lazard, world championship winner of three player medals (one silver and two bronze) and three nonplaying captain medals (two gold and one silver), found a rabbity play in this deal from the quarterfinals of this year's trials to select the USA-2 team for the Shanghai Bermuda Bowl.
Take Lazard's East hand. South is in three no-trump. West leads a fourth-highest spade two. How would you plan the defense?
At the other table, John Kranyak (North) opened one no-trump in the fourth position and ended in three no-trump. When East led a heart, declarer immediately claimed 10 tricks.
Note North's careful three-heart bid, showing three-card support and the values to bid game.
Lazard, looking at all those red-suit winners on the board, realized that his side had to take the first five tricks. And that was not likely to happen if he plugged away at spades. So, after taking the first trick with his spade ace, he shifted to the club king!
When East continued with the club eight at trick three, South understandably put up the queen and lost the first six tricks: two spades and four clubs.
"Understandably"? Perhaps not. If East had begun with ace-king-fourth of clubs, I think he would have shifted to a low club, not the king.
Sidney Lazard, world championship winner of three player medals (one silver and two bronze) and three nonplaying captain medals (two gold and one silver), found a rabbity play in this deal from the quarterfinals of this year's trials to select the USA-2 team for the Shanghai Bermuda Bowl.
Take Lazard's East hand. South is in three no-trump. West leads a fourth-highest spade two. How would you plan the defense?
At the other table, John Kranyak (North) opened one no-trump in the fourth position and ended in three no-trump. When East led a heart, declarer immediately claimed 10 tricks.
Note North's careful three-heart bid, showing three-card support and the values to bid game.
Lazard, looking at all those red-suit winners on the board, realized that his side had to take the first five tricks. And that was not likely to happen if he plugged away at spades. So, after taking the first trick with his spade ace, he shifted to the club king!
When East continued with the club eight at trick three, South understandably put up the queen and lost the first six tricks: two spades and four clubs.
"Understandably"? Perhaps not. If East had begun with ace-king-fourth of clubs, I think he would have shifted to a low club, not the king.