Story by Neil D (BBO: covid2030)

It was just another normal Tuesday evening club night at the Royle Bridge Club in Auckland. As usual, I was playing with my partner Pete, whom I had known since I was a week old, and I sat East. I lived in the east and Pete lived in the west. Pete was a few months older than me and had more tolerance at the table than I.

3♠ was our contract, and as declarer, midway through the play it looked a struggle, as the spade break had not been kind.

Looking across at dummy, then back to my hand, I could see no way to draw trumps, dump my losers, and make nine tricks. Glancing down at the tricks on the table, I counted four in the bag, and was astonished to see a flash of red at my feet. I had dropped a card onto the tapestry carpet. Unsure of the etiquette or club rules surrounding such a circumstance, I thought it best to pick the card up, return it to my hand, play the hand out, and then call the Director.

With as much casualness as I could muster, I bent down, grabbed the card, and returned it to my hand. The ace of spades. I couldn’t believe it. My 3♠ contract was now cold. Two tricks later, and with nonchalance and grace and a quiet inner confidence, I floated the ace of spades onto the table.

To my left was the eldest gentleman in our club, deep into his nineties, I believe. I saw him glance at the ace of spades, then his eyes flicked to mine.

“You’ve already played that,” he said.

I stifled a laugh, realizing that I was attempting to play the ace of spades twice. Across the table, Pete said nothing, but his eyes were like saucers. The director was called, and it became clear I had played the ace of spades at trick two. I had no recollection of playing it earlier, let alone even seeing it in my hand.

I have played decades of club bridge and pride myself on being able to remember the bulk of cards played over a twenty four board session. They do say pride comes before a fall. A hidden beauty of bridge is that, at some stage, one’s mind will inevitably go for a walk and deliver a surprise for the table.