“Magic mirror on the wall,” intoned the Evil Queen, “who is the best player of them all?”
“Thou, O Queen, do well declare,” the Mirror replied nervously, “but to Snow White none can compare. After all, I schooled her in the game myself.”
“What?” screamed the Queen. “We’ll see about that.”
The next castle tournament pitted Snow White’s team against the Queen’s in the final. Today’s deal was crucial. At one table the Queen and her Huntsman stopped at four hearts as North-South. West led a diamond, and East took the ace and returned a diamond. The Queen won and took the A-K of trumps, then the A-K of clubs. When she ruffed a third club in dummy, East overruffed. Making five.
“Good,” the Queen cackled. “If Snow White gets to slam, she will fail.”
Snow White indeed played at six hearts. West led a diamond again, and East won and returned a diamond. Snow White took the king and drew all the trumps, noting that East had length in trumps as well as in diamonds. West threw a diamond and a club.
South then led a spade to dummy and ruffed a diamond — a key play — and West had to find another discard. If he threw a club, Snow White could take the A-K and ruff a club in dummy, and her fourth club would be good. If West threw a spade, declarer could take the king of spades and ruff a spade, and dummy’s last spade would be a winner.
Making six, and Snow White’s team won the tournament. Her play reflected well, so to speak, on her mentor the Magic Mirror.
North dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S A K 6 5
H 10 8 4 2
D 6 4 3
C A 8
WEST
S J 10 4 3
H 6
D 10 7 5
C J 9 5 4 2
EAST
S Q 8 7
H J 7 3
D A Q J 9 2
C Q 10
SOUTH
S 9 2
H A K Q 9 5
D K 8
C K 7 6 3
North East South West
Pass 1 D 1 H Pass
2 D Pass 3 C Pass
4 H Pass 5 D Pass
6 H All Pass
Opening lead — D 5
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Originally published at Frank Stewart