Nether vulnerable. West deals.

October 6, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

NORTH

xQ J

uA J 7

vJ 10 9 7 6 4 3

WEST EAST

x10 9 2 xA K 8 5 4 3

u10 6 4 3 u9 8

vA 8 5 vK 2

wJ 6 5 wQ 9 4

SOUTH

x7 6

uK Q 5 2

wA 10 8 7 3 2

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

PassPass 1x 2w

Pass 2v Pass 2u

2x 3u Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Ten of x

Here’s another deal from the ACBL Summer North American Championships, held at the end of July in Washington, D.C. We like the ending reported by Barry Rigal.

With the prime cards evenly divided, three hearts by South, reached after a competitive auction, was anything but laydown. The defenders started with two rounds of spades and East slipped by shifting to a low diamond instead of the king. West won with the ace and continued with a diamond, expecting East to ruff. Instead, East produced the king and declarer ruffed. With East holding at least eight cards in spades and diamonds, a trump break was unlikely, so declarer cashed the king of hearts, crossed to the jack and started running diamonds, bringing about this position:

x —

v10 7 6 4

x9 x8 5 4

u10 6 u —

v — v —

wJ 6 5 wQ 9 4

x —

v —

wA 10 8 7 3

Declarer continued running diamonds and West was helpless. If he ruffed and returned a spade, declarer would ruff in hand, cross to the king of clubs and draw the remaining trump, and dummy would score the rest of the tricks. If West discarded three clubs on the diamonds, he would have to ruff the fourth diamond and declarer would score the last two tricks either with two ruffs or with a trump and a club.

SCrt 2009 Tribune Media Services