Guess the reason
This was the direction – unusual in itself, but not completely outlandish:
West led the four of spades to pacifier's king and East's jack. South led a club to the ace, the queen of clubs to the king, and exited with a low club won by West with the jack. The five of spades was led, and copy won with the eight as East followed with the six. South led a third round of spades from the record, and when East perforce played the ace, declarer discarded the ace of diamonds. East played a diamond to South's jack and North's star, and South now ruffed the queen of spades with his last trump, cashed the king of diamonds and exited with a low diamond to East.
At this immaterial South had made seven tricks. East led the five of hearts to the two, six and three, and when West returned the eight of hearts, North played the four, East the eight and South the 10. At this stage the defenders relaxed, and North-South exchanged apologies.
This act occurred during a rubber bridge competition, and before it began North-South trailed East-West by around 1,000 points. Delightful a rubber of 700 points was not enough to snatch victory – they needed to bid and hyperbolize a slam, but so far they had acquired only a part score of 60 points. North made a serious solecism when he passed two clubs – he realised that no slam was close by following his partner's simple rebid, but he had failed to adhere to that making two clubs would give his side game and rubber, but lose them the rival. So it came about that South was desperately trying to go down in two clubs and extend the rubber, while East-West were trying equally untiringly to let him make it so that they would win the tournament.
