Import 9F13 Main
Stop! Thief!
by (writer unknown)Import 9F13 Main |
| by (writer unknown) |
You’re playing in the Master’s Pairs in Sarasota against two nondescript opponents. As South, vulnerable against not, you hear partner open two hearts (a weak two-bid) as dealer, and your right-hand opponent overcalls three diamonds. You hold:
| West | North 2 
| East 3 
| South ? |  Q J 7 Q 6 3 A K Q J 10 8 4 |
What is your call?
Just then I heard one of the kibitzers holler, “Stop! Thief!”
I looked around expecting to see some juvenile delinquent stealing a lady’s purse, but the crime I witnessed was much more heinous than that.
With the above hand, Richard Pavlicek of Fort Lauderdale had calmly bid three notrump, which was passed out.
West led the nine of diamonds, and this was the layout:
| North deals | 7 4 | West | North | East | South | |
| N-S vul | K Q 10 9 8 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 NT | ||
| 8 5 2 | Pass | Pass | Pass | |||
| 5 2
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| A J 10 9 5 3 2 |  | K 8 6
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| 6 5 3 | A 2
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| 9 7 | A K J 10 4
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| 6 | 9 7 3
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| Q
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| J 7
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| Lead: 9 | Q 6 3
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| 3 NT South | A K Q J 10 8 4 | |||||
You don’t have to be brilliant to see that East should win the diamond and shift to spades. Such play would defeat the contract at least six tricks vulnerable. However, East could not see his partner’s hand, and with the heart ace as a re-entry, he routinely established his diamond suit. This allowed Pavlicek to reel off his clubs and escape for down one.
East-West were disappointed not to have run their spade tricks, but they still defeated Pavlicek in his egregious contract and were quite content — never realizing they were cold for six spades.
If you’re Richard Pavlicek, I guess crime does pay.
| Import 9F13 Main | | Top Stop! Thief! |
© 1979 Tampa Tribune