Both vulnerable. East deals.

Both vulnerable. East deals.
NORTH
8 7 4
Q 8 7
8 7 3
8 6 5 2
WEST EAST
9 5 3 K J 10 2
6 K 5 2
9 6 5 2 K J 10
J 9 7 4 3 K Q 10
SOUTH
A Q 6
A J 10 9 4 3
A Q 4
A
The bidding:
EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH
1NT 4 Pass Pass
Pass
Opening lead: Four of
In the early days of contract bridge, Philadelphia was the hub of the game. Among the many experts who made it their home were Milton Work, Charles Goren, B. Jay Becker, John Crawford, Charles Solomon and Sidney Silodor. This deal is from a tournament played there in the early 1930s.
The auction needs no comment. Judging by that, the hand could have been played at your club yesterday. While the bidding in those early years of contract bridge might have been suspect, there was nothing wrong with the play, as this deal testifies.
West led the four of clubs, and declarer's problem was easy to diagnose. Winning finesses in two suits would be required to land the contract. All the missing kings were with East for the no-trump opening. The problem was the two entries to North to take the finesses. It did not take declarer long to come up with the solution to his problem.
The opening lead was won in the closed hand and, to the second trick, declarer led the jack of hearts from hand and overtook with the queen! East won with the king and reverted to the king of clubs. Declarer took care to ruff with the nine, and the rest was easy.
The three of trumps to the seven served as the first entry for a winning spade finesse. The four of hearts to the eight was the second entry for a successful diamond finesse. Declarer lost only one trick in each suit except clubs to land his game.
& copy;2006 Tribune Media Services
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