Peter’s coup revisited

Friday, we featured Swedish expert Peter Fredin and a deceptive play that he made some years ago. This involved leading away from a king in dummy and daring his right-hand opponent to rise with the queen. The deal got a lot of publicity in his part of the world. Today’s deal had Fredin playing North.

South was Danish expert Knut Blakset who was determined to show his partner that he could also pull off that deceptive play.

Blakset might have held his ground in two hearts doubled, but he chose to run to two no trump. He was probably happy to have escaped the lash in that contract. Blakset ducked the first two high spade leads, but he won the third with dummy’s ace. Five running club tricks was against the odds after West’s opening bid, and five club tricks wouldn’t get his total up to eight anyway. He decided to try “Peter’s Coup.” He led a low heart away from dummy’s king!

This would have done the trick had East played low. Blakset would have come to three hearts tricks along with three clubs and one trick in each of the other two suits.

East, however, was German World Champion Sabine Auken, who rose with her queen, assuring the defence of six tricks. We can easily imagine Fredin giving his partner “the business” for trying a play that was too advanced for him.