North-South vulnerable. South deals.

North-South vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA 10 6 5

uA Q 6 4

v10 8

wJ 10 5

WEST EAST

xJ 2 xQ 9 8 7

u8 7 uJ 10 3 2

vK J 7 6 4 v9 5 3

wK Q 9 7 w6 4

SOUTH

xK 4 3

uK 9 5

vA Q 2

wA 8 3 2

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT Pass 2w Pass

2v Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Eight of u

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. This is the same deal as yesterday with an identical contract. Here, however, the lead was the eight of hearts.

Declarer played low from dummy on the heart lead, East covered with the ten and declarer won. Declarer made an excellent play when he returned the nine of hearts from hand to the queen, setting up a tenace position in dummy.

The club jack was run to West’s queen, and the jack of spades was returned to declarer’s king. Reading the hand perfectly, declarer led a club up to dummy. West took the king and exited with his remaining spade to dummy’s ace. The club ten was cashed, fetching a diamond discard from East, and a diamond to the queen lost to the West’s king. On the club return both dummy and East parted with a diamond as declarer won with the ace.

The ace of diamonds now completed East’s discomfiture. The defender had to hold two hearts so was forced to bare his queen of spades. A spade now put East on lead for a forced return of a heart away from J 3 into dummy’s A 6 to push the board.

Verily, all roads lead to Rome!

2008 Tribune Media Services