BRIDGE
Magic tricks
Andrew Robson
A HYPNOTIST and magician by profes- sion, London's Martin Taylor correctly divined the trump position on this week's slam deal. And this was without the use of a rabbit and a hat, or putting his opponents into a trance.
Dealer North Both Vulnerable The Bidding South West North East 1V pass 14 pass 4+ pass 4* pass 4NT pass 5V pass pass pass pass The excellent bidding sequence requires some explanation. North's jump to 4+ was a 'splinter bid' showing a slam-suitable hand with a singleton + and primary sup- port for 4s. South's 4* bid showed *A and a willingness to co-operate in a slam venture. 4NT was Roman Key Card Black- wood and the 5V reply showed two of the 'five aces' — 4K counting as an ace.
West led +K and, when it held, contin- ued with +5. After trumping in dummy, Martin cashed 4A on which East dropped 410. Following the principle of restricted choice (PRC), which states that when one opponent plays a critical card in a suit, his partner is twice as likely to have the adja- cent card, Martin played for West to have 4J. Accordingly he crossed to VJ and led 49, running it when West played low. East discarded so he led to dummy's 40, returned to *A, drew West's 4J with his 4K, discarding *8 from dummy, and claimed the last five tricks with dummy's four top Vs and *K.
East made an interesting observation at the end. 'Was it really a PRC situation, Martin? I would have dropped 410 — or 4J — if I had held 4J10x too.' Martin had a riposte: 'Fair point, but I felt that your partner's prompt lead of a second club weakening dummy's trumps suggested he had a possible trump trick.'
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