BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. West deals.
NORTH
x 5 4 2
u 5 3
v A 5 3 2
w 8 7 5 4
WEST EAST
x K J 8 7 x Q 10 9 6
u 9 u K 10 7 2
v J 10 9 6 v K 8
w Q J 10 9 w 6 3 2
SOUTH
x A 3
u A Q J 8 6 4
v Q 7 4
w A K
The bidding:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
Pass Pass Pass 1u
Dbl Pass 1x 4u
Pass Pass Dbl Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Queen of w
How does an expert make it seem that he is playing with glass cards? More often than not, it is simply reading and using the information that is available from the bidding and play. Here's a case in point.
At this vulnerability, it is difficult to fault West for making a takeout double as a passed hand on a perfect, if somewhat weak, distributional holding. South needed to know no more to bring home a difficult game.
West led the queen of clubs, won in the closed hand. If trumps were 5-0, declarer saw no chance of getting home. He would have to concede two trump tricks and at least one each in diamonds and spades. Even if hearts were 4-1, West's singleton would have to be either the nine or the ten for South to limit his trump losers to one. In addition, East would have to have no more than two diamonds, not unlikely in view of West's announced length in the suit, headed by the king.
The play did not take long. Declarer cashed the ace of hearts at trick two and was delighted to see West drop the nine. South crossed to dummy with the ace of diamonds and led the remaining heart, finessing the eight when East followed low. When that held and West showed out, declarer continued with the queen, losing to East's king.
East's shift to the ten of spades was taken with the ace, the last trump was drawn and, following up on his analysis, declarer exited with a low diamond. When that fetched the king from East, South could claim his doubled contract,
& copy; 2004 Tribune Media Services