bridge

August 20, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA Q 7

uA J 4

v10 5 3

wQ J 10 2

WEST EAST

x10 6 5 4 2 xJ 8

u9 8 5 3 uQ 10 7

v9 2 vK Q 8 7 6

wK 6 wA 5 4

SOUTH

xK 9 3

uK 6 2

vA J 4

w9 8 7 3

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1w 1v 2NT Pass

3NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Nine of v

Don’t relax when you have two stoppers in the enemy suit. Make sure you win them at the right time.

North-South had a simple auction to the optimum contract of three no trump. West made the normal lead of the top of his doubleton in partner’s suit, East inserted the queen and declarer — with a second stopper in the suit -- won with the ace and led a club to start setting up his long suit. West made the expert play of rising with the king to lead his remaining diamond. East won with the king and forced out declarer’s last diamond stopper. South had no road to nine tricks without setting up the clubs, and East won the second club and cashed two more diamonds for a one-trick set.

Declarer did not handle his assets well. All that was needed to ensure the contract was to allow East, who was marked with both the king and queen of diamonds, to win the first trick. As long as the club honors were split, there was no way for the defenders to come to five tricks — try it!

2010 Tribune Media Services