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From: The Washington Post
Date: 20021031
Author:Frank Stewart

Ambrose Bierce in "The Devil's Dictionary" had only disdain for perseverance: "a lowly virtue whereby mediocrity achieves an inglorious success."

In a team match, West led the ten of clubs against four spades, and South ruffed. One South, despairing of reaching dummy to finesse, led the ace and a low trump. East won and exited with his last trump, and since South still couldn't reach dummy, he lost a heart and two diamonds.

The second South looked harder for a dummy entry: At Trick Two he tried the ten of trumps. If East won, South could lead a trump to the eight for a heart finesse.

So East ...

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