Bridge Spectaculars 3
The Genius of Belladonna (Majorca, 1967)
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Contract : 3NT by South       Lead : ♠6

  Dummy (N)
♠ (8)
♥ 10 8 7
♦ J 9 8 6
♣ A 		Tricks won
NS : 4
EW : 1
West (Baird)
♠ A J 7 3 (2)
♥ K
♦ A
♣ K J
Next
East
♠ -
♥ 9 4 3
♦ -
♣ Q 10 9 8 7 (6)
  Declarer (Belladonna)
♠ Q 10 (5)
♥ A 6
♦ -
♣ 5 4 3 2 		 

Trick 5 : here is where Belladonna's deception pays of !!
West assumes that East holds the ♠10, which would knock out Declarer's Queen, setting up 4 spade winners in West's hand.
West leads therefore a small spade, won (to her great surprize) by Dummy's ♠8.

Comment
Seeing Dummy's ♣A singleton, Baird would have realised her Partner would probably hold 6 clubs.
Without Belladonna's deception she would have lead the ♣K instead (!!!), driving out Dummy's ♣A and unblocking the ♣ suit for her Partner.

© 2002 Andrew Ward, from his book 'Bridge's Strangest Hands'
Published by Robson Books, 64 Brewery Rd. London N7 9NT