BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable. North deals.
NORTH
x A K 6 2
u 7 5
v 9 8 6 3
w A K 8
WEST EAST
x J 9 7 4 x Q 8 3
u A Q 10 6 u K J 9 8 4 3
v Q 7 2 v J 10 5
w J 6 w 5
SOUTH
x 10 5
u 2
v A K 4
w Q 10 9 7 4 3 2
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
1v Pass 2w Pass
3w Pass 5w Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Four of x
For those who know the history of bridge, the game's outstanding woman player was Helen Sobel Smith. In partnership with Charles Goren mostly, she won every major U.S. title except the Men's Pairs, and would probably have won that, too, had she been permitted to play. While her bidding was sometimes a little erratic, she had the annoying habit of making most contracts she was in, and defeating almost every contract that was beatable. This little gem dates back to the National Pairs held in Chicago in 1953.
The two-club response might be frowned upon nowadays, but to Helen it was automatic. Despite only 9 high-card points, she had no qualms about leaping to game when North raised.
West led the four of spades and the universal result was 11 tricks for North-South, declarer losing a trick in each red suit -- except for Mrs. Sobel. She called for the deuce of spades from the table at trick one. East won with the queen and, had the defender returned a heart, the result would have been the same as at the other tables. But, not surprisingly, East elected to shift to the jack of diamonds.
Declarer won with the ace of diamonds, drew trumps in two rounds, and cashed the king of diamonds. South crossed to dummy with the king of spades, and discarded a diamond on the ace of spades. A diamond was ruffed in hand, setting up a long card on the table. Dummy was entered with a trump so that declarer could discard her losing heart on the established diamond for a top-of-the board overtrick.
& copy;2006, Tribune Media Services