Bridge: July 23, 2023

“You know that Greek myth about the nymph Echo?” a club player asked me.

“She displeased Hera, the queen of the gods,” I replied, “and was punished by not being able to speak first. She could only repeat what others said. The Greeks knew nothing of reflected sound waves; they concocted all kinds of pretty tales that attributed natural phenomena to divine influence.”

“Well, my partner should be named Echo,” my friend grumbled. “She always has to have the last word.”

My friend had been South in today’s deal from a team match. When North doubled West’s one club, South was willing to jump to four spades. West’s decision not to bid again was odd.

“West led the king of clubs and shifted to the ten of diamonds,” South told me. “East captured dummy’s king and returned a diamond. I discarded a heart on dummy’s queen and drew trumps. Next, I led the ace and a second heart, playing low from my hand. I hoped West had started with the doubleton king, but he took the jack — and then the king for down one.

“My team actually gained on the deal: Our teammates sitting East-West played at five clubs, and declarer guessed the play well to be plus 600. But my partner had to have the last word: She announced that I should have made four spades.”

I can echo North’s sentiments. Once West shows a void in trumps, he is likely to have three or more hearts. (South could ruff diamonds to confirm this.) South should attack the hearts with an “intra-finesse.” She leads a heart from dummy to her eight. West takes the jack, but South later leads the queen of hearts, pinning East’s ten.

West dealer

Both sides vulnerable

NORTH

S A J 8 5

H A 9 6 3

D K Q 5 2

C 10

WEST

S None

H K J 7

D 10 9 8 6

C A K 9 5 4 3

EAST

S 7 4 3

H 10 2

D A J 7 3

C J 8 7 2

SOUTH

S K Q 10 9 6 2

H Q 8 5 4

D 4

C Q 6

West North East South
1 C Dbl 2 C 4 S
All Pass(!)
Opening lead — C K

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