BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

xA 10 8 3

u8 5 4

v7

wK J 9 8 2

WEST EAST

xQ J 9 7 xK 5

u3 2 uK J 10 6

vJ 8 6 5 2 vK 10 3

wQ 5 wA 7 4 3

SOUTH

x6 4 2

uA Q 9 7

vA Q 9 4

w10 6

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

1NT Pass Pass 2v

Pass 3u Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Three of u

No matter how good you consider your methods to be, sooner or later you will come across a deal that poses a problem. This deal is from the ACBL Summer North American Championships in Washington, D.C., at the end of July.

Against 15-17 no-trump openings, North-South had several weapons available: Two clubs would show a one-suiter; two diamonds promised both majors and two spades would show five spades and minor.

North elected to treat his hand as a major two-suiter, a decision he regretted when a delighted South made an invitational raise by jumping to three hearts! He was not that sure when West led a trump and dummy hit the table.

Declarer captured the king of trumps with the ace and returned the ten of clubs, which was allowed to hold. A club was continued to the queen, king and ace and East returned a club, ruffed by West as declarer discarded a spade.

Too late, West found the spade return. Declarer won with the ace and discarded his remaining spade on a high club as West, who had no more hearts, discarded a diamond. Declarer continued by finessing the queen of diamonds, then ruffed a diamond to bring about this ending:

x10 8 3

u8

v --

w9

xQ J 9 xK

u -- uJ 10 6

vJ 8 vK

w -- w --

x --

uQ 9 7

vA 9

w --

Dummy’s remaining club was led and East was a gone goose. He did what he could by ruffing with a heart honor. Declarer overruffed, cashed the ace of diamonds and ruffed a diamond with the eight of hearts, and East’s overruff with ten was the third and final trick for the defense.

2009 Tribune Media Services