BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x 7 3 2
u J 9 8
v 8 6 5 4 2
w 10 7
WEST EAST
x Q 9 x J 10 8 6 5
u 7 6 2 u 4
v K 10 7 3 v J 9
w Q 9 6 3 w A K J 5 2
SOUTH
x A K 4
u A K Q 10 5 3
v A Q
w 8 4
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
2u Pass 2NT Pass
4u Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Three of w
The tools were there for mining diamonds, but declarer was satisfied with strip mining. The result was not profitable for North-South, but East-West did not complain.
The auction was typical of the strong two bids of yesteryear. These days, using a two-club game force it would go: 2 w - 2 v; 2 u - 3 w ; 4 u - P. The two-diamond response is waiting, two hearts is natural and three clubs is a second negative.
The defenders took the first two tricks with the king and ace of clubs, and East shifted to a spade. Declarer won with the ace, crossed to dummy with a trump to the eight and took a losing diamond finesse. West continued with a spade to the king. Declarer cashed the ace of diamonds, re-entered dummy with a trump and ruffed a diamond high. When the suit failed to break, the game failed by a trick.
Had declarer not been tempted by the diamond finesse, the game could have been made. After winning the third trick, declarer should cash the ace of diamonds and continue with the queen. West wins and perseveres with spades, but declarer takes the king, crosses to dummy with a trump and ruffs a diamond high, returns to dummy with a trump and ruffs another diamond high, setting up a long card in the suit. A heart to the jack is the entry to the board and in the process West's remaining trump is extracted. Declarer can now discard his spade loser on the long diamond and claim the contract.
& copy; 2005 Tribune Media Services