Throw'em in! By Tommy Sandsmark

In the Pairs the other day, certain deals were conspicuous. This one is a good example:

Game All. Dealer South.

NORTH
S Q85
H Q5
D AK82
WEST C K1074 EAST
S 32 S KJ1096
H 1082 H A4
D 10653 D QJ94
C QJ83 C A5
SOUTH
S A74
H KJ9763
D 7
C 962

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
2D (1)
Pass 2H 2S Pass
Pass 3H All Pass
(1) Multi

Diamond Q was led by East, to the K, and declarer continued with DA and another diamond ruffed. A heart to the Q and A, and another heart to the jack and then HK. A spade to the 8 and the Ace and the last diamond from East was ruffed in South:

NORTH
S Q5
H -
D -
WEST C K107 EAST
S S KJ10
H Imma- H -
D terial D -
C C A5
SOUTH
S A7
H 9
D -
C 96

On the last heart from dummy, East was forced to discard a spade, but then followed SA and another spade to throw East in for 140.

Another example:

Love All. Dealer South.

NORTH
S K76
H J
D AQ942
C A876

SOUTH
S 1054
H AK96
D J8
C KQJ2

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
1C
Pass 1D 1S Pass
Pass 3NT All Pass

The SQ was led. How would you play?
You have four club tricks and two tricks in each of the red suits, and you are faced with the problem of keeping East away from taking a number of spade tricks. Have you decided yet?
Declarer let East keep the first trick, and he continued with the SJ to the K. Four rounds of clubs followed, on which East discarded two diamonds and West a heart. Ending up in dummy the DJ was covered by the K and the A, and East showed out. Since East didn't exactly know the layout of North's hand, he covered the HJ with the Q, and the K won the trick. Now followed D8 to the 9 and then DA:

NORTH
S 7
H -
D 42
WEST C - EAST
S - S A9
H 54 H 10
D 10 D -
C - C -
SOUTH
S 10
H A9
D -
C -

West was thrown in with the D10, and 11 tricks were made. Who was the fortunate declarer? I'm sorry, but my inborn modesty prevents me from telling you who! This was the layout of the opponents' hands:

WEST EAST
S 83 S AQJ92
H 5432 H Q1087
D K1063 D 75
C 943 C 105