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TWO WAYS TO SUCCESS (Morton’s Fork).

A Tale of Jan and John.

John Morton was made both Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor (as well as a Cardinal) in the reign of the English monarch, Henry V11, in the late 15^th century. He oversaw an interesting way of extorting funds for the Crown. 

The rich were told that they could afford to contribute, and the poor were accused of having concealed wealth, a kind of damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. He would have been impressed by the way Palmerston North’s Jan Whyte applied his doctrine in a recent hand of on-line bridge. (There is no evidence that John actually knew how to play bridge but his name will live on at the bridge table.)

 End of history lesson…let’s look at yesterday’s hand:

 

Buoyed on by your potentially useful card in partner’s second suit and partner’s probable singleton or void club, you reach 4. Were you to see dummy before the opening lead, you would encourage West to lead the unbid suit so that you could ruff some losers in dummy.

Alas, West was not listening or certainly was not obliging! A low spade is led. East will follow with another low spade. What’s your plan for tricks 1,2 and the rest of the hand?

Well, let’s see all four hands and see what might have been…and what did!

 

On the initial club lead

On an initial K lead, West could switch to A and a second spade. Declarer can win in dummy and play a low diamond, ducked, with the king winning. A second diamond will be won by the ace. The best East can do is play a third diamond. Declarer ruffs high and draws trump. They have to take the heart finesse with two clubs disappearing on the AK and a third on the J…contract made. South should also survive if West switched to a diamond at trick 2.

The “spoiler” West

Jan Whyte did not have that luxury. No club lead, indeed a very annoying small trump lead meant she had to do something drastic, quickly before the defence started cashing club winners (remember, she had a certain diamond, club and spade loser…no time for any more). At trick 2, she could lead a club from dummy which a cunning East with no more trumps, could duck bravely, leaving West to win the trick and play a third trump. Now, with the A still outstanding and only two club discards available on the heart suit, she would have to lose a second club trick and be one down.

Remembering Morton… 

Jan found an interesting and perfect answer. She led a low diamond from dummy at trick 2. If East won this, Jan would jettison the king, thus providing a third discard on J after the third round of trumps had been drawn. However, East ducked..but “devilry was a foot!” The K won and Jan then played a heart to the ace, K discarding a club and J throwing the 2 when East followed with a low heart.

West, unveiled as Brad Johnston, won and exited a diamond. Jan ruffed out the ace and played a second spade herself. Brad won to lead K and a second club, the second ruffed by Jan in dummy. Jan played T to discard J, her last club with Brad gritting his teeth as he had to follow suit. Jan had only high trumps left in her hand. Contract made.

A double edged sword for Lydia

So, East (Lydia Turley) was damned if she rose with the A and damned if she did not. Hopefully, Jan will stick to bridge and not take up money-raising for the government!

Thanks to Brad, who found the best opening lead and yet was still unable to defeat the contract. Brad, of course, was full of praise for the way Jan had played the contract and is the reason why we have the story to report. Please “dob in” an opponent, even your partner, if you come across a nice bid, play or defence. Say you performed well? Then best make sure your partner was watching!

Talking of which, that last comment could be applied to Ken Bateman who observed the above board from the dummy seat and who, unusually, said not a word! Well, maybe three: “Well played, partner”.

Now to tomorrow and a problem with a difference.

You are North holding:

 632

 JT84

 AK64

 92

Dealer East. All Vul.

West              North            East                South

                                             2 ¹                      Pass

4NT                Pass               5 ²                    Pass

6NT                ?

¹ 6 spades, 11-14 hcp

² 1 ace (that is ace, not key card)

Are you still awake? It is your bid. Well, do you…or don’t you?

See you tomorrow.

Richard Solomon

 

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