22nd July 2020
A deal from the Lancashire Online League

Dealer West
 S
 107
    
Game All
 H
 A872
    
    D A54
    
    C AKQ4
    
S
 AKJ5
     S
 62
H
 QJ53
     H
 1064
D
 2
     D
 KQ10987
C
 10975
     C
 J3
    S
 Q9843
    
    H
 K9
    
    D
 J63
    
    C
 862
    

South
 West
 North
 East

1C 1NT
 2D
2S Pass
 3D Pass
3S Pass Pass
 Pass

This deal from the Lancashire online league led to a strange end position..
West naturally led his singleton diamond against South's contract of three spades.
South ducked the diamond to East's queen and East returned a low heart to the jack and ace.  Declarer ran the ten of spades which West craftily won with the king to return a heart to the ten and king.  A club to table and another spade went to the eight and jack.  West now played a club won on table, declarer ruffed a heart in hand leading to the following end position.




 S
   
          
H
 8
    
    D A5
    
    C Q4
    
S A5
     S
H Q
     H
D
    D
 K10987
C 109
     C
    S
 Q9
    
    H
   
    D
 J6
    
    C
 2
    



When South played a diamond towards dummy West was strangely squeezed.  Either a heart or a club discard set up a trick for declarer, while "throwing" a small trump was ruffing thin air.  In practice it didn't matter what West did, he was always making two trump tricks in the end to take the contract one off.