Both vulnerable. West deals.

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

NORTH

xA K 6 4

vA Q 8 7

wA J 10 2

WEST EAST

xJ 10 7 3 x9 8 5 2

uA K 10 9 2 u6 4

vVoid vK 5 4 3

wK Q 9 7 w6 5 4

SOUTH

uQ J 8 7 5

vJ 10 9 6 2

w8 3

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1u Dbl Pass 2v

Pass 2u Pass 2NT

Pass 3v Pass 3NT

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of w

This deal is from the Trials to select your country’s team for a major international team championship. West leads the king of clubs. Make nine tricks and you are an internationalist; fail and it is wait till next year.

At the table, declarer won with the ace, came to hand with the queen of spades and led the nine of diamonds. West’s heart discard was a blow — now there was no entry to the closed hand for the fifth diamond when East refused to win with the king. Declarer then led the eight of clubs, covered with the nine and won in dummy with the ten. Next came the queen of diamonds, which was allowed to win. Declarer now had eight tricks.

Playing West for having started with either 3-5-0-5 or 3-6-0-4, declarer cashed the two high spades, on which West unblocked the jack-ten, then tried to endplay West by leading a heart to the queen and king. West was able to exit with a spade to East’s nine, and a heart return defeated the contract.

Declarer selected the wrong endplay — after winning the two spades he should have exited with a spade. East would have to exit with a heart, covered by the queen and taken with the king. But West would now be endplayed into conceding the fulfilling trick.

2009 Tribune Media Services