NervenKrieg

[Nerve-Warfare] after Sun Yee Tzu, ancient chinese tactician in his "Art of War"

...always begin by planting fear into the bosom of thy enemy...

The field of battle lays in the first round of the Senior K.O. of the Fall Nationals. Opponents, runner-ups of this event last year, expect to advance easily to tomorrow: our troops are less confident. Fate deals the first hand, red-against-red as ...

K,6,5 | K,Q | A,K,Q,J,7 | A,K,10

Bidding, abundant in Alerts, with opponents silent, but footnotes unavoidable, unfolds as ...

2	Easy	-	2	Positive response, game force
2NT	No need to rush	-	3	Muppet Stayman
3 The time has come to lie: systemic 3NT response might evoke a pass, missing a slam; claiming a major can not hurt, as we all know the final contract will be so many NT
		-	4	Showing both majors, but better -s
4NT Roman Key-Card Blackwood, with -s as trumps (!!!), incredibly lucky development.
		-	5	2 Key-Cards (Aces) and hallelujah: the Q
7NT	Easy again	-	Pass	with a prayer to Briggida, goddess of Bridge

The 8 opening lead uncovers dummy as ... ... facing the hand below

A,Q,9,2 | A,8,7,4 | 3 | 8,5,4,2

K,6,5 | K,Q | A,K,Q,J,7 | A,K,10

Easy Seven if -s break, but the 8 does not imply that; sure enough Lefty shows out on the third round (dummy discarding -s). Having cashed the 4th and the K and Q, now the Q,K and A are played, in that order, ending in dummy with Righty showing out on the third round of -s:

9 | A,4 | -| 8

- | - | 7 | A,K,10

Textbook case of double squeeze, Righty holding the high , Lefty holding the high , neither can guard the third round of -s, when the A is led from Dummy. The hand plays itself.

Sun Yee Tzu advises not to play that way !!!

Call for the A from dummy and spread the Hand announcing: "Claiming Seven on a Double Squeeze with Clubs as the Central Suit"

Action in full compliance with ACBL recommendation of curtailing play when no reason to continue, but the effect on the morale of the RunnerUps is something else. Their dignity and feel of superiority allows them not to ask for explanation, but while they trace with silently moving lips the validity of the claim (for 2220), a cold hand is twisting their stomach: "... these people may not be an easy prey after all." That "twisting hand" should be good for about 21 IMPs.

From a distance of 1,400 years, Sun Yee Tzu strikes once more.