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Your support makes all the difference.One of the most inelegant results you can achieve in this game is to play, voluntarily, in a contract of Five of a major suit and go one down. How would you apportion the blame on this outing?
South opened One Spade and rebid Three Spades over North's response of Two Clubs. North advanced with Four Diamonds (was this wise?), South showed his heart control, and North tried the effect of Five Spades. Feeling that he had nothing to spare, South passed and West led the queen of hearts.
"I have been in worse slams!" commented South, perhaps unwisely. After winning the lead in hand, he cashed the queen and ace of spades to discover the bad break. A third top trump was followed by a losing club finesse and East returned a diamond to the seven, king and ace. Attempting to obtain a discard for his losing diamond, South played on clubs but West ruffed the third round and the defenders had a diamond winner to cash for the set- ting trick.
Well, apart from the bidding (which was in no way criminal), how should South have played the hand? After the three top trumps, he is far better occupied in playing off the ace, king and a third club. Unless West has started with only a singleton club, dummy's eight is established and South's losing diamond goes away while West is ruffing with his sure trump trick.
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