De Boer takes best play award

By Djanwar Madjolelo

Occasion: The Generali World Individual, Paris Dealer: South Vulnerable: All

NORTH

(S) 7 2

(H) J 5 3

(D) A J 5 4

(C) 9 8 7 6

WEST EAST

(S) Q J 10 5 4 3 (S) K 6

(H) K 10 9 8 4 2 (H) Q 6

(D) 3 (D) K Q 10 7 6 2

(C) -- (C) Q 10 5

SOUTH

(S) A 9 8

(H) A 7

(D) 9 8

(C) A K J 4 3 2

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

de Boer Chemla Kokish Nartis

- - - 1NT

2S Double Pass 3NT

4H Pass 4S All pass

Wubbo de Boer played in Four Spades on a Club lead, which he ruffed.

If declarer follows with a Heart to the Queen the contract fails because the defense can win and clear trumps and declarer must lose a second Heart trick.

So de Boer guessed correctly to play the ten of Hearts letting it run. South won and wisely played another Club which he ruffed again.

Now the problem for declarer is that if he continues with trumps the defense can duck the first round. When they win the second trump and play a third club the Hearts are blocked, and declarer has to ruff to get back to hand and run out of trumps.

However if you unblock the Hearts at once before playing the King of Spades, South wins his Ace of Spades and leads a Diamond to his partner, then gets a Heart ruff. Wubbo de Boer saw the problems coming up and found an ingenious if quixotic solution to his problem.

Having gone to all those lengths to finesse in Hearts at trick two, he led the Heart King from his hand, crashing the Queen and then ruffed a Heart with dummy's King of Spade.

Then he simply drew trumps, having retained control of the hand and could not be prevented from making ten tricks.