Your mission is to stop Goldfinger from making 3NT. Your partner, M., has dealt you a poor hand. Perhaps it's a set-up. You haven't had time to discuss it with M., or perhaps you've forgotten the plan from the three martinis you drank before the game. Meanwhile M. has made an amazing lead to 3NT, so it looks like you don't have to think on this one. You're about to take the first five club tricks...or are you?

MANY NEW BOOKS NOW IN STORE
	Click book to go to store or Click here to view the whole collection

 South
   —
   —
   —
   —

You signal with the 6, and M. continues with the ace of clubs. Goldfinger eyes him suspiciously as you follow with the 2 this time. Next M. switches to a heart!

What the blazes is he doing?! You follow with the 5 as Goldfinger takes it in his hand with the 9. Goldfinger studies the hand and then continues (an evil grin on his face) with the queen of hearts, a heart to the king and the ace of hearts.

What three cards will you discard? Can you figure out the plan? Can you at least figure out Goldfinger's plan?

 South
   —
   —
   —
   —

Declarer has four heart tricks and two diamonds, book. He needs three more tricks. If he has the ace and king of spades, there's nothing you can do. If he has one of them (likely), you'd better hold onto three spades.

Maybe you shouldn't have had those drinks, but that's all you can think of for now. So you discard one diamond and two spades. Declarer discards a club on the fourth heart. Suddenly Miss Galore, a beautiful kibitzer, sits down between you and Goldfinger. The pressure is on.

Next Goldfinger, still with an evil grin, cashes the ace of diamonds and king of diamonds. What do you discard? What in the world did partner have in clubs?

 South
   —
   —
   —
   —

Sober up! Partner had a doubleton A-K of clubs, obviously. Any fool would continue clubs with three of them. So you throw one of your clubs.

How in the world are you going to beat this hand? Goldfinger asks to see the cards again, rubs his chin, and then continues with the 8 of diamonds. Suddenly you realize what's happening....

 South
   —
   —
   —
   —

Goldfinger is thinking of making an endplay on you and now reconsidering it! Don't give away the show by throwing another club. Keep cool and throw a spade on the 8 of diamonds. Better yet, throw the 9 of spades. Goldfinger wins the queen of diamonds and triumphantly plays the 9 of clubs to you. You win, cash the jack of clubs and lead the JACK of spades. Goldfinger ducks, playing you for king-jack, but M. wins and tables his cards - down two.

Nice discards, James, says Miss Galore.

Yes, says Goldfinger, if you threw another club, I'd have cashed the ace of spades and then played a club.

The full hand was:

Dealer : West Vuln: Both	North    Q 10 8 5    A K 10 4    A K 8    Q 7
West K J 8 7 6 2 J 7 5 4 3 A K	East Bond J 9 7 3 2 5 6 2 J 10 6 4 2
	South Goldfinger    A 6 4    Q 9 3    Q 10 9    9 8 5 3

THE END

MANY NEW BOOKS NOW IN STORE
	Click book to go to store or Click here to view the whole collection

 South
   A 6 4
   —
   Q
   9

South — 1NT	West pass pass	North 1 3NT	East pass all pass
Opening lead: K

Archives of all back issues of all
dailycolumns are available with
Bridgetoday.commembership (which
also includes 12 issues ofBridge
Today Magazine, 100 archive issues
of Bridge Today Digest Online, and
oneBridge Today University course).
Click here for further details.

eMAGAZINE | NOVICES | BRIDGE COURSES

COLUMNS | QUIZZES |

BACK TO HOMEPAGE

Copyright ©2002-2024 by BridgeToday
Click here to contact us: bridgetoday.com@gmail.com