BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

xK 7

uA J 5 4

vA K 10 7 6

wJ 5

WEST EAST

xJ 10 9 8 xA Q 4 3

uQ 9 2 u8

vQ J v9 5 3 2

wK 10 4 3 wA 7 6 2

SOUTH

x6 5 2

uK 10 7 6 3

v8 4

wQ 9 8

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

Pass Pass Pass 1D

Pass 1u Pass 3u

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Jack of x

Here’s another deal from Eddie Kantar’s award-winning series “Thinking Bridge,” designed for players who would like to improve their game and published in the Daily Bulletins at the recent ACBL Summer North American Championships in Washington, D.C.

“Responder should not think twice about responding one heart or one spade to an opening bid with a five-card major. Do it! However, after the one-heart response, South shouldn’t give any real thought to bidding four hearts. The North hand counts to 17 support points (forget the club jack). North has 15 points plus one support point for each doubleton. The jump raise promises 16-18 support points. So South is on target. East, a passed hand, has a perfect takeout double had North opened one heart, but can’t come in intelligently over one diamond. A double is out of the question with a singleton in an unbid major, and overcalling on a crummy four-card suit is also off the wall.

“After East takes two spades, he shifts to a low club rather than the ace. After all, declarer may have the king and misguess by playing low, thus losing two club tricks. As it happens, West has the king and returns the three (original fourth-best) to East’s ace and East gets out with a club to South’s queen. South must have the queen as West won trick three with the king, denying the queen. Defenders take tricks with the lower or lowest equal.

“South has to find the queen of hearts holding nine trumps between the two hands. We’ve come too far to play by nursery rhymes. East, a passed hand, has turned up with the ace-queen of spades plus the club ace for a total of 10 hcp. Most players open 12-point hands these days, so it is odds-on that West has the queen of hearts. South does best to cash the king of hearts and lead a heart to the jack.”

SCrt 2009 Tribune Media Services