Visualization Defense

Despite not playing as much bridge as I would like to, I still seem to have an array of interesting hands rattling around upstairs.  So I will try to share them here, in case anyone is reading.

This first hand is one of my favorites, as it highlights visualization, based on listening to the auction.  I originally wrote about this one in the Daily Bulletin in Birmingham ’00.

Dealer: W Vul: All		North
		♠	J843
		♥	T632
		♦	T932
		♣	8
West				East
♠	T65			♠	Q92
♥	AQ			♥	KJ8
♦	AJ865			♦	K
♣	T72			♣	QJ9653
		South
		♠	AK7
		♥	9754
		♦	Q74
		♣	AK4

Imagine my surprise to hear West open 1NT (although it was 10-12), and then East bid 3♣, invitational.  I passed smoothly, and then had to think as partner lead the three of spades, and then dummy was tabled and quickly ducked.  Declarer must have all of the missing high-cards, except (I hope) the Jack of spades, since partner lead 4th best.  I reasoned that if I could lead hearts each time I gained the lead, I could establish the setting trick.  So I won the King, and shifted to a heart, won by declarer’s Ace, and then I lead a heart again after winning the first round of clubs.  Declarer won the Queen, and continued clubs.  I ducked one round, and won the second, partner pitching a spade and a heart.

But wait, I visualized that if I stayed on course, clearing the heart suit, declarer would run all of dummy’s clubs, and what would I keep in the three card ending.  If I stiffed the Ace of spades he could cash the King of diamonds and throw me in with a spade as a stepping-stone to the Ace of diamonds.  But if I kept two spades, he could overtake the King of diamonds, my Queen falling, and enjoy the Jack.  The worst part, is that this expert declarer could not go wrong, as on the King of diamonds, either my Queen would appear, or not, so there would be no guesswork involved.

Then (about 3 minutes later), I saw it.  The squeeze relied on overtaking in diamonds, so I switched to a diamond, relying on my placement of the Jack of spades with partner.  Now dummy would be end-played at trick 12 in spades.  At this point Declarer also saw the position, so he made an attempt to sneak one by, winning the Ace of diamonds to lead a low spade to the nine.  If I won, and did not play a diamond, dummy would be good (for the contract).

However my partner (my dad), was on top of his game and inserted the Jack of spades.  Now the Queen of spades was won by the Ace, the diamond Queen cashed to set the contract, and a diamond return, partner still scoring his Ten for down 2, as he was locked from the dummy (thanks to the Jack of spades play).