By Eric Kokish

Most of the time writing about bridge is a lot of fun.

But not always.

Soon after my article REDEMPTION SONG appeared in the daily bulletin, I was confronted by my great and good friend Franco Broccoli, who presented me with his best Jewish mother impression and said, “Ah, Eric, I am so disappointed…“

Disappointed in whom? Well, actually, it was moi. It turns out that I had screwed up one of the better deals I’ve written about in years.

This was the deal:

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª K J 10 4 3 © 9 4 2 ¨ 9 2 § A 5 4
ª Q 9 5 © A Q J 10 3 ¨ 6 5 3 § K 6		ª A 7 6 © K 8 6 5 ¨ Q J 10 4 § 10 8
	ª 8 2 © 7 ¨ A K 8 7 § Q J 9 7 3 2

North led the §A and led a low spade away from his king. West, declarer in Four Hearts, won the nine, drew trumps, cashed the ªA and the §K and led a diamond to the ten and king. I suggested that South had to lead the seven or eight of diamonds to defeat the contract, surviving the unfortunate lead of the §A and switch to a spade by dint of maintaining focus.

This, of course was nonsense.

Even if South finds this play the contract cannot be defeated. Declarer wins the ¨J in dummy and exits with a spade. Now North is endplayed and must give declarer a ruff and discard. Declarer’s second diamond loser disappears.

It’s rather a pretty deal, don’t you think?

Too bad about the bridge writer, though. He was last seen plunging into the sea from the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo.