Bridge challenges can sometimes be really tough. Howsoever a good Bridge player tries to resolve the contract bid before him, which appears to be impossibility with no chance of making. But we also know that in Bridge, players do come across a cloud that covers their crystal gazing. In Bridge parlance it is called a 'blind spot' where the possibility is viewed negatively. Here is one peculiar illustration of a contract that was bid in the final of the French National Pairs Championship wherein no declarer succeeded in making 4H bid mostly in such a manner by north south holding the following cards:
The bidding went as under:- The opening lead from west was the QD. As south how would you fare where experts failed.
Looking at the hands, almost every declarer could foresee a loser in diamonds and clubs along with the two inevitable losers in spades. It seemed hopeless from the very outset as the four losers were almost inevitable and there seemed little or no chance of a possibility in distribution that could make any one of the four losers to disappear. Yet this Bridge challenge has a solution wherein 10 tricks can become a certainty if distribution of cards and the timing of the play is dead right and the declarer's foresight and sense of anticipation sharply focused. Of course the average player who would take the QD with the AD, cash 2 trumps and then lead a spade for either west or east to take the first trick, a club or diamond return would force declarer to lead the second spade. The same minor return would put him back to square one facing loss of a trick in each of the minor suits. But it pays to be focused and visualize what distribution of east and west could be in his favour. We'll let us now try the correct approach to this challenging contract and see how what seemed 'Impossible' could become 'Possible'. Win the first trick with the AD and draw trumps. Now lead a spade. Suppose one defender east or west takes it and persists with diamonds. South cashes his AD and comes to the critical point of play. Here declarer can see a remote end play possibility by cashing AK of clubs and now having set his timing right, exiting with his second spade. It's time now to give the west east hands:
Let us assume the second spade is won by west. The defence is kaput! west at most can cash a diamond but with clubs and trumps exhausted, he is left with the most embarrassing defence - to concede a ruff and discard by either playing a diamond or spade. If on the other hand, it is east who wins the second spade, the position is the same for the defence. Caught in a helpless position east at most can cash a club but is then forced to face the same ruff and discard scenario. This time the diamond loser disappears.
The position for defence does not improve even if the defenders switch to clubs after winning the first spade declarer would then cash KD, as well as his second top club before exiting with a spade.
This was a hand that called for vision and the ability to foresee how a possible distribution can be conducive for the declarer. The fact that all the declarers in actual play failed to make the contract emphasizes the human failing of having the blind spot which caused their failure. They succumbed to what seemed to them 'inevitable' when they should have remembered the maxim that "where there is a will there is a way".
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North South
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7 5 Q 2
Q 8 6 4 2 A K J 10 9
8 6 3 A K 2
A K 2 6 5 4
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S W N E
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1H 1S 2S 3S
4H All Pass
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West East
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A 10 8 6 4 K J 9 3
3 7 5
Q J 10 9 7 5 4
J 3 Q 10 9 8 7
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