bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

x7 3

u8 6 5 2

vA K Q 3

wK Q 10

WEST EAST

xQ 10 8 6 4 2 xK 9 5

u10 uQ J 9 7

vJ 8 5 v9 7 4 2

w7 4 3wA 6

SOUTH

xA J

uA K 4 3

v10 6

wJ 9 8 5 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1v Pass 2w Pass

3w Pass 3uPass

4uPass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Six of x

There are 10 tricks for the taking on this deal. What tricks do you have to lose? How will you time the play?

The bidding is normal. Since the South hand should produce game opposite any reasonable opening bid, there is no reason to distort the auction by responding in the four-card major rather than the five-card minor.

Should you win the ace of spades at trick one and the draw two rounds of trumps, you are going to be defeated. East can draw all the trumps on gaining the lead with the ace of clubs, and the defense has a string of spade winners. At best you can hold your losses to down three!

Since you can afford to lose two trump tricks in addition to the ace of clubs, your efforts must be concentrated on keeping control of the hand. Win the ace of spades at trick one, cash just one high trump, then take your three diamond winners, discarding a spade from hand.

At this point there are several ways to proceed. The surest way to succeed is to force out the ace of clubs. When East wins, best defense is to return a trump. Win in hand and resume playing clubs. East can ruff the third round and draw another trump, but you will still have a trump to ruff one of dummy’s losers and the other goes away on a high club. Unless the defender with the long trump can ruff the first or second diamond, this approach is sure to deliver 10 tricks on any lie of the cards. The defenders can collect at most two trumps and the ace of clubs.

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