Bridge swindle
By Djanwar Madjolelo
JAKARTA (JP): With fair play on both sides, two Brazilian champions are defeated by a legal swindle. It is always most satisfying to make a contract by a swindle, provided it is within the laws of the game.
To do so against one of the world's great players is truly memorable.
Paulo Brun of Rio de Janeiro achieved this in the Brazilian Pair Championship Final.
His victim was the redoubtable Gabriel Chagas, who promptly told the story against himself to Alan Truscott of the New York Times.
Chagas's two-Clubs bid as West, after partner's one Spades bid had been doubled as a transfer showing Diamonds. Notice that East/West could have made 5 Diamonds, very likely but South became declarer with 4 Hearts.
Dealer : East
Vulnerable: Both
NORTH
(S) Q J 10 3
(H) 9 4
(D) 9 8 7 2
(C) 10 5 4
WEST EAST
(S) 6 5 (S) A K 9 7 2
(H) 2 (H) A 6
(D) A K J 10 6 3 (D) Q 5 4
(C) Q 7 3 2 (C) 9 8 6
SOUTH
(S) 8 4
(H) K Q J 10 8 7 5 3
(D) void
(C) A K J
EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH
1D Double 2C Pass
2D 4H All pass
West led the Diamond Ace. The opening Diamonds lead was ruffed and South led Spades. East took two Spades winners and led a third round hoping to promote a trump trick in his partner's hand. South ruffed with the Hearts Jack and led the Hearts Queen. This won the trick and the position was this:
NORTH
(S) Q
(H) 9
(D) 9 8 7
(C) 10 5 4
WEST EAST
(S) void (S) 9 2
(H) void (H) A
(D) K J 10 6 (D) Q 5
(C) Q 7 3 2 (C) 9 8 6
SOUTH
(S) void
(H) K 10 8 7 5
(D) void
(C) A K J
Brun as South, quietly led the Jack, and Chagas thought this over.
He felt sure that his partner held the top Club, and to take the Queen could be disastrous if his partner held doubleton King. So he played low and Brum happily showed his hand, conceding a trum trick and making four Hearts.
Sitting East was Marcelo Branco, who like Chapas has won two world titles.
He not only held up his Ace of Hearts, necessary to prevent the nine from becoming an entry to dummy, but did so promptly. A lesser player, either technically or ethnically, might have done so slowly.
That would have made it clear to West, for an improper reason, that it was right to take the Clubs Queen.