MADEIRA
BRIDGE
Spot the error
Andrew Robson
I RECEIVED A COMPLAINT at the rub- ber table last night that all my columns fea- ture brilliance — that blunders are brushed under the carpet. Lord Swaythling, the source of the complaint, said he was pre- pared to be the scapegoat. His play all evening was of such a high standard that my task was not easy. In the last rubber, however, he made a costly error. Can you spot it?
Dealer East Neither Side Vulnerable The ,:tidding
South West North East 3,
4+ Pass 6+ All Pass East, Lord Swaythling, opened 3V on the above goulash deal. South, Nicholas Cob- bold, ventured a bold 44 in spite of his excellent defensive hand for hearts. West, Sir Gordon Reece, was unwilling to risk bidding on such a potential misfit and North, myself, could hardly bid less than 64. Holding such terrific trump support, partner had to have a good overall hand to compensate for his weakness in clubs. West led +8 which Lord Swaythling ruffed. He returned a spade which declarer won. He was now in the unusual but highly effective position of being able to cross-ruff the last eleven tricks. Tempting though a spade return was at trick three, Lord Swaythling would have defeated the contract had he returned his last trump. Declarer would now be a trump short to ruff all his five hearts in dummy and the slam would have failed. A consideration of why West had not led a heart (East's bid suit) — that he did not have one to lead and therefore that South had all five missing hearts — would have tipped him off,
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