Argentinian superstar Agustin Madala was the hero of today’s piece from the 2025 World Bridge Tour. East had no good call over West’s two-suited two-spade opening. Three clubs would have been pass-or-correct for the minor, so East went quietly. Madala balanced with an off-shape two no-trump and was raised to game by Joe Grue.
West chose the unfortunate diamond 10 lead, which blew the suit wide open. Madala inferred that this was not a singleton, so he played low from dummy, capturing the queen with the king. He then cashed the diamond jack and played two more rounds of the suit, finessing against the diamond nine en route. East discarded clubs, completing an echo to show encouragement. Madala was therefore inclined to place the club ace and king with East. It also seemed likely that East, who was marked with 11 rounded-suit cards, had started with seven clubs and four hearts; otherwise, he might have pitched a heart.
Madala cashed the heart king next, followed by the heart 10. When East did not cover, declarer read the position well by going up with the heart ace, dropping the queen. All that remained was to cash the spade ace, extracting East’s exit card, and then play off the heart jack and another heart to endplay East, forcing a lead around to dummy’s club queen.
No doubt Madala thought East would have covered the heart 10 with the queen if he had it, to ensure a heart trick for the defense.