A Swindler from Norway or How to Cook Zucchini By David Stern Try this triumph involving the bidding, the lead and the defence from the last round match in Group 7 between Gillis and Fazzardi. Dealer East. N/S Vul   ♠ A K Q 6 ♥ K 3 2 ♦ 9 ♣ A Q J 4 3 ♠ J 8 4 2 ♥ J 9 7 ♦ K J 10 4 ♣ 10 8 ♠ 10 9 5 ♥ A 8 4 ♦ 8 7 6 2 ♣ K 9 7   ♠ 7 3 ♥ Q 10 6 5 ♦ A Q 5 3 ♣ 6 5 2 West North East South Brogeland Fazzardi Saelensminde Zucchini     Pass Pass 1♦ Dble 2♦ Dble Pass 3♣ Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass 3NT All Pass         Brogelande Boye, Norway   Following two passes and at favourable vulnerability Brogeland decided to make a psychic opening hoping to obstruct the opponents. The opponents, with a combined 27 count brushed this aside and found the good 3NT played by the correct hand – South. Brogeland continued his larcenous ways by avoiding the diamond lead and leading a low spade. Declarer won this in dummy and led ♣A followed by the ♣Q won by East who continued with the ♦8. Declarer confidently won this with ♦A with reasonable ‘certainty’ that he could now make his ninth trick by leading a heart up to dummy fully expecting West to hold the ace and unable to take more than one diamond trick. The final swindle came when Boye unblocked the ♦J to ensure that partner could play through a diamond while retaining the lead to lead yet another one. You can only imagine the look of shock on declarer’s face when the ♥K lost to the East’s ace and ♦7 came through followed by another diamond to scuttle the contract by one trick. We can all see that the hand can be made by ducking the diamond altogether but if you believe that the heart ace is with West is that true? Assume declarer ducks the diamond, wins the spade continuation and cashes all the black suit winners to reach this position:   ♠ 6 ♥ K 3 2 ♦ ♣ ♠ J ♥ J 9 ♦ K ♣ ♠ ♥ A 8 4 ♦ 8 ♣   ♠ ♥ Q 10 ♦ A Q ♣ Obviously a heart to the queen would work on the actual layout but a heart to the ten would be perfectly reasonable hoping that East held the jack and West the ace. This would fail with the defence taking two hearts, one diamond ducked, one club and one spade. (If declarer could be sure this was the ending with West having two hearts then playing the king of hearts first is the indicated line. Editor) Even losing to the heart jack had the possibility that West’s remaining cards were   ♠ ♥ A J ♦ K 1 0 ♣

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