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A Curious Club Suit

A Curious Club Suit

My friend David Berkowitz played this deal at Jourdans Bridge Club in Boca Raton, Florida:

Vul: N-S
Dir: West
bridge card suit4 3
bridge card suitK Q 9 4
bridge card suit10 6 4 2
bridge card suitA 10 2
bridge card suit8 7
bridge card suitA 3 2
bridge card suitQ J 9 8 7 5
bridge card suit6 5
bridge card suitK J 10 9 6 5
bridge card suit8 5
bridge card suit3
bridge card suitQ 9 8 7
bridge card suitA Q 2
bridge card suitJ 10 7 6
bridge card suitA K
bridge card suitK J 4 3

West opened 2bridge card suit, East responded 2bridge card suit (not forcing) and David as South ended up in 3NT.

West led a spade, won by declarer.

He knocked out the heart ace and that meant he had the following sure winners:

2 spades, 3 hearts, 2 diamonds, 2 clubs.   That's 9 tricks, so it was just a matter of overtricks.

What do you think of the club suit?

Assuming declarer plays East for the queen, he can take 3 tricks (lead the ace, then finesse). Can he get 4 club tricks and make many overtricks?

It looks impossible.  When declarer wins the bridge card suitA and leads the 10, East will cover, of course. If declarer doesn't lead dummy's bridge card suit10, East still gets a club trick.

But, look what happened. When West won his bridge card suitA, he continued spades. Declarer won and cashed the red suits to leave:

Vul: N-S
Dir: West
bridge card suit--
bridge card suit--
bridge card suit10 6
bridge card suitA 10 2
bridge card suit--
bridge card suit--
bridge card suitQ J 9
bridge card suit6 5
bridge card suitK
bridge card suit--
bridge card suit--
bridge card suitQ 9 8 7
bridge card suit2
bridge card suit--
bridge card suit--
bridge card suitK J 4 3
What a curious ending. East had to keep all four clubs (else the suit would run). So, David threw East in with the spade. East had to lead a club and voila! -- 4 club tricks for declarer.Plus 660 was a top board.Note -- West could have broken up this ending by playing a club when he was in.