BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. East deals.
NORTH
x 4
u 8 5
v A K Q 7 6 5
w 8 7 6 4 3
WEST EAST
x 8 x K J 10 9 7
u 10 9 4 3 2 u K Q J
v 10 9 8 4 v J 3
w 10 6 5 w Q J 9
SOUTH
x A Q 6 5 3 2
u A 7 6
v 2
w A K 2
The bidding:
EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH
1x Pass Pass 2v
Pass 3NT Pass Pass
Pass
Opening lead: Eight of x
Two chances for the price of one is something no self-respecting declarer should refuse. Consider this deal.
When the opponents bid your longest suit, it is generally best to stay out of the auction. It is an old and wise saw. After East's one-spade opening, South's hand was strong enough but off-shape for a one-no-trump overcall. The major flaw, however, was that there was no immediate source of tricks. All that changed when North reopened in the balancing seat, and South closed the auction with a jump to three no trump.
West led his singleton spade -- anything else would be grounds for divorce. Declarer captured East's nine with the queen and saw that the right way to tackle the hand was to play for a 3-3 break in either minor. Unfortunately South elected to go about his task by leading a low club at trick two. East won with the nine and alertly returned the jack of diamonds and, even though clubs were 3-3, declarer could come to no more than eight tricks.
While ducking a club with this suit combination might be right in some circumstances, this was not the time for that maneuver -- South now had no entry back to the long club. Declarer should simply have cashed the ace and king of clubs and continued with a third round of the suit, and all would have been well. Had the club suit not divided evenly, declarer would still have been able to fall back on diamonds.
& copy;2006 Tribune Media Services
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