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Bridge

Delaying Diamonds at Youth Congress

As I have mentioned, the American performances at the second World Youth Congress in Croatia last month were disappointing, However, Roger Lee of Monrovia, Calif., would have won the award for the best-played deal had there been one. It is in the diagramed deal and occurred during the Knockout Teams.

In the auction two spades was a range inquiry, and three clubs indicated a maximum.

At the other table South took the first heart trick and early on attacked diamonds, assuming they would run. But when they broke 5-1, he had to fail, going down two.

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Lee (South) realized that diamonds could wait. He won the heart-ten lead with his queen and immediately ran the club seven, losing to East’s jack.

To defeat the contract East had to shift to a diamond, or return his low club, and West, after taking his king, would have to switch to his diamond.

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Understandably, though, East tried a low spade. Declarer put in his jack, winning the trick. Suddenly he seemed to be up to nine tricks: two spades, two hearts and five diamonds. But South realized that diamonds could still wait. He led another club, dummy’s queen losing to East’s ace. East led the spade king, ducked by declarer, and another spade to South’s ace, dummy throwing a heart.

Diamonds could wait no longer. Declarer took his ace, played a diamond to dummy’s king and cashed the queen to give this position, with South needing three tricks:

On the diamond jack declarer discarded a club. But what could West spare?

He had to pitch his last spade. But now a club exit endplayed West to lead away from the heart king.

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Beautifully done.

Are you wondering what would have happened if West had won the second club trick with his king and led back the spade ten?

South would have ducked and taken the next spade to give this position:

Now declarer would have cashed his heart ace, squeezing East. He would have had to give up his spade, but South then would have led a third club to establish his ninth trick there.

What marvelous symmetry.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section C, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: Delaying Diamonds At Youth Congress. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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