BRIDGE

NORTH
x 7 4
u Q 6 3
v J 8 3
w A Q 9 8 4
WEST EAST
x Q J 10 8 x 9 6 5 3
u 10 4 u J 9 5 2
v A 9 v Q 10 7 5
w J 10 7 3 2 w 6
SOUTH
x A K 2
u A K 8 7
v K 6 4 2
w K 5
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
2NT Pass 3NT Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Queen of x
Cover up the East-West hands and decide: How would you play this hand at duplicate pairs? Would you follow the same plan at rubber bridge?
Playing a 15-17 range for their one-no-trump opening, South's two no trump showed 20-22. North was a whit too weak to be interested in slam and settled for what should have been an easy no-trump game.
West led the queen of spades. Since any club break no worse than 4-2 would allow declarer to coast home, perhaps with overtricks, declarer won with the king, cashed the king of clubs and continued with a club to the ace. When East discarded a spade on this trick, and with the ace of diamonds offside, declarer could come to no more than eight tricks.
At rubber bridge, overtricks are not of critical importance. Here, too, declarer should win the first trick, cash the king of clubs and continue with a club. However, when West follows low, declarer can guarantee the contract by inserting the table's eight. If East wins, the suit is breaking and declarer will be able to run clubs for nine tricks. As the cards lie, the nine of clubs will win and that is South's fulfilling trick.
& copy; 2006 Tribune Media Services
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