A team expected to do well here is the Dutch squad led by the reigning World Ladies Pairs champion Bep Vriend (Anton Maas, Elly & Henk Schippers). In Round 2, playing a strong German team led by Roland Rohowsky, the Dutch had an unusual thought on Board 17. They truly wished their opponents would have made their game:

Board 17. Dealer North. Love All 4 3 2 J 5 4 3 Q J 10 7 4 7 J 6 K 10 5 A K 7 6 2 Q 10 9 8 5 2 A 9 6 4 A K Q 10 3 2 A Q 9 8 7 8 K 9 6 3 J 8 5 West North East South Rohowsky Rausceid 1 1 2 Pass 4 Pass 4 All Pass

West North East South Henk Elly 1 1 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4NT Pass 5 Pass 6 All Pass

Playing in Four Hearts Rohowsky as West found himself in big difficulties after a diamond lead. With trumps divided 4-1 he ended up down two. At the other table Elly Schippers played the excellent contract of 6 which went one down, also due to the unfortunate heart break. If hearts had been 3-2 Rohowsky would have made his game, but Elly would have made her slam.

Maas pointed out that when declarer leads the nine of trumps at trick two and South contributes the EIGHT then it is a safety play to let the nine run. If North wins and plays another diamond you can ruff in dummy, and overtake the queen of trumps to draw trumps and run the clubs. However, if North has J 8 x x in trumps, Four Hearts is much more difficult. Can it be made?

Our Editorial analysis:

Running the nine of hearts no longer works. North wins and plays a second diamond. You ruff, unblock Q, and play a spade. But South wins and switches to the JACK of clubs. Declarer is stuck in dummy and cannot get back to hand to draw North's trumps.

To succeed declarer must start on spades at trick two. South wins and plays a second diamond. Dummy ruffs and plays another spade to South. If South plays a third diamond declarer ruffs again, unblocks the trump, cashes the third spade throwing a club, and plays on clubs. North ruffs the second round, but whatever he plays next allows West to draw trumps. If South, when in with the second spade, tries switching to a club, declarer can ditch his losing diamond on the third spade, and clear trumps.