Bridge Column for September 11, 1994 Neither side vulnerable. South deals. NORTH S: J 4 2 H: A 10 D: 10 4 C: A K Q 9 4 3 WEST EAST S: A Q 10 7 5 3 S: 9 8 6 H: K 7 4 H: Q 9 5 3 2 D: A Q 9 D: J 7 2 C: 7 C: 8 2 SOUTH S: K H: J 8 6 D: K 8 6 5 3 C: J 10 6 5 SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST Pass 1S 2C Pass 2NT Pass 3NT Pass Pass Pass Top level bridge is basically sound and error free. Expert players tend to be conservative most of the time. What separates the top experts from the rest of the players at that level is the ability to zig and zag at the right time. This hand is an example of a creative bluff that worked. Sitting North and South were Michael Rosenberg and Zia Mahmood, both playing out of New York City. The event was the semifinal round of the 1993 Vanderbilt Knockout Teams, played in July at Kansas City, MO. At Mahmood's second turn to bid he reasoned that a club raise would encourage West to continue on in spades. To discourage this, he conjured up a bit of a bluff with a two no trump bid. I am sure he was planning on running to clubs if his no trump bid was doubled. West has no reason to double and Rosenberg decided that his potential seven tricks was enough to justify bidding the no trump game. The opening lead was the queen of spades. An argument can be made for a number of other choices. Double dummy, it appears that the ace of spades followed by a low heart creates the most problems for declarer. Be that as it may, West determined that it was safest to guard against a singleton jack of spades in dummy and played accordingly. Mahmood won the king and played six rounds of clubs. West was in agony. Any sequence of discards by him would inevitably lead to ruin. In actuality, he came down to this position with six tricks remaining: NORTH S: J 4 H: A 10 D: 10 4 C: V o i d WEST EAST S: A 10 S: 9 H: K 7 H: Q 9 5 D: A Q D: J 7 C: V o i d C: V o i d SOUTH S: V o i d H: J 8 6 D: K 8 6 C: V o i d Mahmood, having won the first seven tricks, exited with a small diamond. West was helpless. If he cashed the top diamond and got out with a low heart, Mahmood could rise with the ace and throw him back in to give dummy the last trick with the jack of spades. Exiting with the heart king is no better. Declarer wins the ace and exits with the ten. East wins, but one of declarer's major suit jacks will become the ninth trick. At the table, West simply cashed the top diamond and the top spade. The contract fulfilling tricks were now won in dummy. When the hand was replayed at the companion table, North played in four clubs and was defeated one trick. The major question is whether or not Mahmood took any unreasonable risk with his action? The opponents rate to be able to make a spade part score, so going down one or two tricks at this vulnerability would not hurt. On the other hand, making a game with only 22 high card points would be a spectacular result. Selecting the appropriate time for this type of "action" is a big part of the difference between good players and champions.