Like the Old Days by Eddie Kantar

Edgar Kaplan would have been proud of his "forever" partner Norman Kay on this deal. But then again Kaplan would have expected no less.

Dlr: North, Vul: None

S A

H A 10 8 3

D J 7 4

C K Q J 8 2

S Q J 7 5 S K 10 8 6 2

H J 7 6 5 H K Q 4

D K Q D 9 6 3

C 7 6 4 C 9 5

S 9 4 3

H 9 2

D A 10 8 5 2

C A 10 3

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

- 1C 1S Pass

2S Dbl Pass 4D

Pass 5D All Pass

After winning the opening lead of the SQ, Norman led a low diamond to the 8 and queen. He won the heart shift with dummy's ace and led the DJ to the ace, felling the king and the kibitzers. He eventually made six after ruffing a spade in dummy and drawing trump.

And just how did Norman know to make this play? Well, it was all because East failed to play the D9, a card he was known to hold the second time the suit was led. When East played the 6 on the second diamond, Kay figured he started with either 9-6-3 or K-9-6-3. If he K-9-6-3, West, with a singleton diamond, probably would have raised to 3S preemptively instead of bidding only 2S.

Edgar is surely smiling.