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Black suit Blitz

By Maureen Dennison

It is not so often that a board can be played eight times in four concurrent matches and produce seven different results! This hand came from a friendly between France & England, the Entente Cordial. The matches were between Open, Ladies, Junior and University teams form the two countries. This was the lay out.

			Q 8 5
			Q 3
			A J 10 9 7 6 3
			2
	J 7 6 4	N W E S			3 2
	8 6 4 2				A K 10 9 7 5
	Q 8				K 5 2
	J 9 6				Q 5
			A K 10 9
			J
			4
			A K 10 8 7 4 3

Table of results

	ENGLAND	FRANCE
Open	2 +3	4
Ladies	4	3 -1
Junior	5	6 -4
University	6 -1	5 -1

The three English declarers playing in clubs all correctly read the spade position to garner 11 tricks. Unfortunately the Open were out of game and the University a level too high! The French lady lost her way when West lead a heart and I, sitting East, played three top hearts. Declarer discarded clubs and ruffed the third heart in dummy. She now cashed two high clubs, ruffed the third and drew a round of trumps with Q. The only way back to the closed hand was a diamond ruff and the 4-2 trump break defeated her. Had she cross ruffed the hand ten tricks are there for the taking.

At the two tables where four spades were made play started in similar fashion but after three hearts and three club tricks, they played diamonds:- ace and ruff, ruff another club with the Q, a second diamond with the K and another club. West was forced to under-ruff and trump the next club to lead into K 10! Neat!

However both Wests missed an opportunity. They should "discard" one spade on the fourth club and under-ruff the third diamond. Now East can trump the last club exit and lead through declarer! So you see a very rare bird indeed requiring two under-ruffs to avoid an end play.