BRIDGE

May 15, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

East-West vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xJ 4

uK 7 6 4

vA K 3

wJ 10 5 2

WEST EAST

xK 10 9 3 x8 7 6 2

u? 9 8 2 u?

vQ J 9 v10 8 6 4

wK 6 w8 7 4 3

SOUTH

xA Q 5

uJ 10 5 3

v7 5 2

wA Q 9

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1v Pass1u Pass

2u Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Three of x

Sometimes you are faced with a pure guess. More often than not, though, one line offers better odds than another. Consider this deal.

North-South were playing a forcing club system, hence North’s one-diamond opener. Even though a 4-4 heart fit was located, South, with a flat hand and weak major, chose the no-trump game.

West led a spade, won by the jack in dummy. Then the jack of clubs was run to West’s king. Since the play to the first trick marked declarer with the A Q of spades, West led a low heart in an attempt to get East on lead to play a spade through. Assuming you were South, how would you proceed?

It might seem that it is a pure guess. If West is underleading the queen of hearts, play low from dummy; if West is underleading the ace; go up with the king. Which would you choose?

Sitting South was one of the world’s great players, Geir Helgemo. He wasted no time in rising with dummy’s king and wrapped up 9 tricks in a hurry when the queen dropped under the king. Lucky guess?

Not at all. If East held the ace of hearts, there was no way to keep him off lead. Therefore the king was the only hope!