BRIDGE
East-West vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
xQ 9 4
uVoid
vK Q J 9 8 6 5 2
w5 2
WEST EAST
xK 8 3 xJ 6
uA J 10 8 6 3 2 uK 9 5
v3 vA 7
w8 7 wK J 10 6 4 3
SOUTH
xA 10 7 5 2
uQ 7 4
v10 4
wA Q 9
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1x 3u 4v 4u
Pass Pass 4x Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Three of v
This deal is from the Venice Cup matches, symbol of the Women’s World Championship. Study the diagram and bidding and decide whether you would rather play or defend four spades after the lead of the three of diamonds.
The auction was unremarkable. East-West competed as far as four hearts, but the vulnerability dictated against their going on to the five-level. The lead is the singleton diamond. Play or defend?
Suppose you elect to defend. Partner wins the ace of diamonds and gives you a diamond ruff. What now? You make a safe club return, declarer wins as cheaply as possible and leads a low trump. You win with the king of spades to complete your book, but declarer is in control. No matter what you lead, declarer can win, draw your last trump with the table’s queen and dummy’s diamonds take care of the rest.
Want to change your mind and declare? No, but you must tighten your defense. You must kill dummy by attacking its entries. Since the only way for declarer to get to the table is with trumps, after you ruff the diamond at trick two you must switch to a heart. Declarer must ruff in dummy, come to hand with a club finesse and lead a trump toward the queen. You rise with the king and force dummy with another heart, and there is no way declarer can avoid going down a trick.
SCrt 2009 Tribune Media Services