March 2021 - 65

Special Contributor

George's World
BY GEORGE JACOBS
NOBET8888@aol.com

A

recent conversation with
Claude:
Me: " You played that bizarrely. "
Claude: " I got knocked off the computer and when I got back on, I was in
my hand. "
There was a charity auction hosted by
Marin County's Unit 508 in California
for Homeward Bound, a group that
helps the homeless find work and
homes. They raised over $150,000. My
partner was Peter Haglich of Virginia
Beach VA.
In the Homeward Bound Pairs, the
final hand was quite cool. It featured a
stepping-stone squeeze. This occurs
when you must sever communications
between dummy and declarer, but you
can count on the defender who wins
a trick to bring your stranded winner
back to life. Watch this deal against
opponents Dan Friedman and Linda
Friedman of Orinda CA:
Dlr:	 West
 A 10 7 3
942
Vul:	 N-S
	
AQ
	
A876
 Q 2		
N
 Q J 10 8 6	
W
E
 7 5 4		
S
 K J 3		
	
954
	
AK53
	
K962
	
 10 2

Trick 1: The opening lead was the Q,
ducked.
T2: The J was next, won by the king.
Poor East had to make her first pitch, a
low spade.
T3: I led a low spade toward dummy,
and West inserted the queen. I won
the ace.
T4: I led a spade off dummy. This play is
called " low to the low. " The jack won.
T5: East shifted to a low club. There is
nothing to be gained by playing the 10,
so I played low, and West played the
jack. I ducked this trick as well.
T6: West persisted with hearts. East
pitched a club, while I won the ace.
T7-8: The time was right to unblock the
A Q, stranding my king.
T9: I then played a low spade and East
won. This set up a spade trick while I
still had the A to reach it.
T10: East played the 9 which was
covered with the 10, king and ace.

together. Making two was worth 65%.
In that same event, Paul Lewis made
a great " psych. " It was the final deal, and
he was drinking wine. Each round, we
were on Zoom with our opponents, so I
can confirm the wine. I am pretty sure
that what he did was alcohol-induced,
but I loved it and besides, I will never
talk about it. Paul was 4=1=4=4, and his
partner opened 1NT. He bid 2, and
his partner bid 2. Here it comes: Paul
then bid 3(!), the Smolen convention
showing five spades and four hearts.
They wound up in 4 the hard way.
Note: In 1997, Neil Silverman psyched
exclusion Blackwood. I thought that
was cool also. It cost me a national
event and almost a second one when I
trotted that out myself. All that glitters
is not edible.
OK, no bridge in St. Louis, but they
are playing the NAP in March. I am
sure there will be some stories to tell.
Providence is next in July, and I hope
we will play. Stay safe.

T11: I cashed the 10.
KJ86
7
 J 10 8 3
Q954

West	 North	East	 South
Dan	 Peter	 Linda	Me
Pass	1	 Pass	1
1	1	 Pass	1NT
All Pass

T12: I exited with a low club with total
confidence of where the queen was. If
West started with the K Q J, he probably would have opened the bidding,
and probably would have led one. Plus,
your " Spidey Sense " is important to
have at the table.
T13: The K was brought back to life
by the kind opponent who had been
squeezed out of all his other exit cards.
At any early point, a diamond pitch
by the defense is fatal, as it gives me
four diamond tricks while I still have
entries. This squeeze is cool. East is
forced to pitch losers, but they are valuable losers. The North-South hands are
severed, but East must put them back

GOODWILL

continued from page 12
came back. They weren't physically in
Mexico, but that didn't matter online.
Pooling with a smaller, seasonal club
in Puerto Vallarta also added numbers,
and the club averaged 11-13 tables all
year, from May on.
Galloway says he's glad to be able to
make a difference. " People need bridge
more than ever now. To be able to help
support that means a lot to me. "
March 2021 | Bridge Bulletin | 65
March 2021

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