Friday, July 28, 2006
Both vulnerable. North deals.
NORTH
Q 10 9 5
A 8 3 2
K 7 4
Q 6
WEST EAST
K 6 4 2
Q 7 4 K 10 9 6
J 10 6 3 Q 9 5
K 10 7 2 J 9 8 5
SOUTH
A J 8 7 3
J 5
A 8 2
A 4 3
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
Pass Pass 1 Pass
3 Pass 4 Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Jack of
The song says that two can't live as cheap as one. Perhaps so. But at the bridge table you can combine two lines at no extra price.
The bidding was straightforward. North, a passed hand, had near-opening bid values in support of spades, and showed it by jump raising partner's opening bid. South had just enough to carry on to game.
West led the jack of diamonds. Declarer won in dummy and ran the queen of spades, losing to the king. West reverted to diamonds and, in the fullness of time, declarer lost a trick in each side suit into the bargain -- down one.
South saw that a successful trump finesse would land the contract. He did not take into account that there would be no play for the contract if the finesse lost. The trump finesse could wait. There was another way to land the contract and, if that failed, South could still fall back on the trump finesse.
Declarer should win the opening lead in hand and immediately lead a low club toward the queen. As the cards lie, West must either rise with the king of clubs or lose a trick in the suit. But now declarer can win any return, cash the queen of clubs and return to hand with the ace of spades to discard a diamond on the ace of clubs. After ruffing a diamond, declarer surrenders a trick to the king of trumps and a heart, and the contract is home.
& copy; 2006 Tribune Media Services
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