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Bridge is a game of levels: is a play not made in error or can a negative inference be drawn? On this deal, both defenders were good enough to occlude a key position, but only one declarer deduced why that action was taken.
Bidding
Dealer: South
N/S Game
In a decent-quality teams of four match, this hand proved pivotal. 3NT would have been an interesting contract, but both South players opted for — what seemed to be — a safer 4S. With the early play identical at both tables, one declarer drew the correct inference from East’s defence; the other seemingly ignored it.
West led 2♥ to East’s A♥; 3♥ was returned. West ruffed and led a high club to East’s ace. At both tables, East refused to return a heart and, instead, continued with a second club. At the first table, declarer won in dummy, and played a spade to ace and cashed the king. When Q♠ failed to drop, he was one down. The successful South player thought harder about East’s seemingly peculiar play.
Why would he refuse to lead another heart? The deduction makes sense: if East leads a heart, West will surely be unable to ruff high ahead of dummy’s J♠ and this will indicate that East holds Q♠. Declarer’s finessing line of play would now be marked. By denying South that information, East keeps open the possibility of scoring Q♠ and taking the setting trick.