The Superglue Coup
Phillip Alder’s bridge column yesterday featured a couple of techniques I’d never seen before: unethical, reprehensible, and damned effective. Alder, of course, would never recommend that you do likewise.
South was playing four hearts, and West led the ace of spades. Declarer ruffed a second spade, leaving him with four trumps: A J 10 9. On the board: K 8 5 3. In an effort to flush out the queen, he led the jack. West hemmed and hawed, contemplated, hesitated, and finally played the six. The queen having failed to materialize, South played the king from dummy, East dropping the deuce. The three was led from dummy, East played the seven, and having presumably seen everything, declarer put up the ace — upon which West discarded a spade.
This is considered a weaselly technique: obviously West didn’t have to spend any time wondering what card to play on that first heart lead, since he had only the singleton heart. But it did screw with South’s head.
Not as much as this, though:
Declarer now led a low diamond [from 8 6 5 2]. West paused again, then produced the Superglue Coup, simultaneously playing the queen and four, the cards seemingly stuck together.
After a brief discussion about the law, West chose his queen and left the four on the table, to be played at the first legal opportunity.
Which is, of course, the rule. Declarer won with dummy’s ace [from A J 9 7], reentered his hand with a club, and sent up a second diamond, to which West duly played the four. Declarer evaluated the situation:
[He] decided that West surely could not have the diamond ten, because he would have also produced that card sandwiched between the queen and four. So South called for dummy’s jack. But East won with the king.
Which left the ten as the top diamond, and declarer with two diamond losers in each hand and no way to get rid of them. And the queen of trumps was still out. Result: down one. (West, of course, did have the ten.)
You can’t pull stunts like this in a tournament and expect to get away with it. On the other hand, if you can mess with the opponents’ heads without violating the rules or befuddling your partner, you’re a better player than I am, Gunga Goren.
McGehee »
20 December 2009 · 2:10 pm
Remind me never to play bridge without a gun in my pocket.
Charles Pergiel »
20 December 2009 · 11:48 pm
Reminds me of the Muhammed Ali versus the chess champion bout. I think it was an SNL skit. Chess champ led with a pawn, Ali came back with a right hook and won the bout.
If you really understood what you were writing about here, I’m impressed. I have no idea. Not surprising I suppose, since I have never played bridge.
CGHill »
21 December 2009 · 7:04 am
I have played at the lowest tournament level. I’m not particularly good, but I generally don’t embarrass myself or my partner. Much.