A Reasonable Hope

A guest from Delhi requested to organise a game of rubber bridge in a comfortable setting, so he can sip his ice-tea and play at leisure.

The guest, whose white crewcut hair contrasted starkly with his sun-tanned face, was the declarer. East won the ♥A and returned the ♥9 to his ♥K. The guest could count on four clubs, two spades plus the ♥K for seven quick winners. How does he bring two more without relinquishing the lead.

A club to dummy and a spade to South’s ♠10 wins an easy finesse but that doesn’t get the job done. South gets three spade tricks, just enough to total down one. When South tries to develop a diamond, the defense is ready to beat the game.

The guest from Delhi had only hope to find a singleton ♠8 or ♠9 in the West’s hand — a reasonable hope. After winning his ♥K, he crossed to dummy in club to lead the ♠J. East covered with the ♠Q and South won with the ♠A dropping West's singleton ♠9. Another club led to dummy, and a low spade was led to South’s ♠7 to win the trick. The ♠10 was cashed, and now the guest claim his game and rubber, with his whiskers still turned up like scorpion’s tail.

Man is a victim of dope in the incurable form of hope.

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