Goren Bridge
Bob Jones
| Dlr: North | ♠ A 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Vul: N-S | ♥ A Q J 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ A 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ A Q 10 7 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♠ K 6 2 | ♠ Q 10 7 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♥ 7 4 3 | ♥ 9 5 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ Q 7 | ♦ J 10 4 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ K J 4 3 2 | ♣ 9 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♠ J 9 8 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♥ K 10 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ K 9 8 6 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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*Exactly two controls — one ace or two kings
Opening lead: ♠2
The actual auction is unknown to us. We offer the auction here. West was the late Bobby Richman. Richman was from Cleveland, but made his life in Australia. He became one of the most colorful and beloved characters on the Aussie bridge scene, not to mention one of their finest players.
Declarer won the opening spade lead with dummy’s ace, led a diamond to his king, and a club to dummy’s queen for a successful finesse. The ♣A and another club saw East show out and South ruff with the ♥8. There were five side-suit tricks and declarer would succeed if he could score seven trump tricks on a cross-ruff. The battle was on to prevent dummy from scoring a trick with the ♥6.
South crossed to the ♦A, ruffed another club with the ♥10, and led another diamond. Richman ruffed this with the ♥7, dummy over-ruffing with the jack. The last club was ruffed with the ♥K, leaving a four-card ending. Dummy had the ♠3 and the ♥A Q 6. East had the ♠Q and the ♥9 5 3 of hearts.
South led a diamond. Richman had to ruff or dummy’s spade would have been discarded, forcing East to give dummy the ♥6. Dummy over-ruffed with the queen, and East smartly under-ruffed! Had he shed his spade instead, the ensuing spade lead would have end-played him. Dummy’s spade was led, and Richman overtook East’s queen with the king. Any lead from him at this point would ensure the ♥9 as a trick for the defense.