BRIDGE NOTES: Deceptive discard baffles declarer

There are quite a number of hands that appear easy to make for whatever level of the contract. In most cases the partnership having the required number of points in the combined hands reaches a game contract in either no trump or in any of the suits. But there are hands having sufficient point count, also favourable distribution, go down either because of killing leads or misplay by the declarer or good defensive tactics by the defenders. One of such hands in the pair contest played at Aslam Bridge Hall at the National Stadium some times back can be given as an example. In this hand the lead proved a killing one and the other defender also showed an uncanny defensive move that defeated the contract, which otherwise a contract of three no trump was making with ease on any other lead except the lead of heart suit.
The defending players have a good track record of the game in the city and national tournaments. But both playing in different partnerships did not show any ambition to make a mark in any international bridge contests.
The player, who led heart five against three no, trump contract by South was Asghar Naqvi, and his partner was Jawwad Abedi, both of them have been known for playing bridge for about 40 years, it looks as though, the game of bridge is a pastime and an intellectual exercise, which provides them a shelter from other worldly affairs. Asghar Naqvi has been in teaching profession with impressive record before retiring and Jawwad Abedi was in a senior position in banking before retiring.
Both of them devote a good time playing bridge regularly in weekly bridge events conducted by the Karachi Bridge Association, as a second important engagement of interest in life. The deal in question played by this partnership is reproduced below in which Jawwad Abadi made an exceptionally intelligent move without a wink by ducking a trick which confused the declarer, who later went down in his contract.
WEST LED HEART 5: When Iqbal Haider sitting in South position opened the hand with 1NT, Mahmood Naqvi, his partner with North hand had to think a little while whether to signof in three clubs via non forcing two clubs bid at the first step or to invite his partner by bidding two no-trump to go to a game. However, he decided for second option by bidding two no-trump, which the South having upper limit of not rump hand bid a contract of three no trumps.
On the lead of heart the South had to play the king of hearts, which held. At the next trick the declarer played a small diamond from dummy and finessed the jack of diamonds in hand that was won by West with the queen of diamonds and switched to jack of spades, which the South won with the king of spades. At this point the South had to make a decisive move to make nine tricks and he chose to move ten of clubs from hand West played the four, North played the three and East played the two of clubs.
The declarer was stupefied at the winning of ten of clubs and he was stuck in the suit to make his club suit good in case the East held three or four cards of club headed by queen as he had no entry to the dummy except overtaking the king of clubs with the ace of clubs in dummy. And in a state of panic he wanted to make as many tricks as possible. So he played the king of clubs from hand and playing a small from the dummy on which the queen came fell from the East. But there was no place to rejoice, as the South could not enter the dummy to make the good club tricks before gracefully going down.
With the result the declarer went down on a deceptive discard by the East. When asked about the funny discard, Jawwad said that there was no point in taking the queen as the declarer may take rest of the club tricks by finessing the jack of clubs on the next round even if the king of clubs is held by the West. "So I thought let him make one extra trick for his contract or he may end up in confusion about further play in clubs." So he succeeded in his ploy to defeat the contract.
DEALER SOUTH:

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North-South vulnerable

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North         West         East        South

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S 75          S J6         S Q10984   S AK32

H K2          H A7653      H J94      H Q108

D 1075        D Q96        D K42      D AJ83

C AJ8653      C 974        C Q2       C K10

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THE BIDDING:

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South         West           North       East

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Iqbal         Asghar         Mahmood   Jawwad

Haider        Naqvi          Naqvi      Abedi

1NT           Pass           2NT         Pass

3NT           Pass           Pass        Pass

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