Bridge | 25 May 2024

We all pause to think when playing, but – let’s be honest – it’s usually as basic as re-capping the bidding or counting points and distribution. When great players stop to think, you just know they’re on a higher plane, probably contemplating things that wouldn’t occur to the rest of us. But what? Luckily, when they’re good friends, you can simply ask. During the recent European Transnational Championships, David Gold made an intriguing play which I later quizzed him about (see diagram).

*Hearts and a minor. South led the ◆5. David won with the ◆A, and played ♠A and another spade. South won and exited with a diamond. David won with the ◆Q, cashed dummy’s ♥A, ruffed a heart, crossed to the ◆K, ruffed a heart, and exited with a spade. South switched to the ♥J. David ruffed and now came the big decision: who held the ♣K? Eventually, he ran the ♣7 to North’s ♣J, and when North returned the ♣2, he played the ♣9. Contract made.

So why did he place the ♣K with South? The smallest clue was actually a jokey gesture by North at the end of the auction: he crossed out the plus column on his score-card as if to concede defeat, which suggested to David he had little in defence. Then came the lead. South was clearly trying to find his partner’s minor, but leading from an unsupported jack was dangerous. He would surely have chosen a club from xxx, 10xx or J10x (and with Jxx, he might have led from that), so David could eliminate those holdings. And lastly, North’s first discard was a quickly played ♥7. He was playing McKenny, meaning a low or high card asks for the lower or higher outside suit. With the ♣K he might have pitched a low heart, or at least thought about it.