BRIDGE

February 11, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Both vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

xVoid

u9 6 5 3

vA 7 4 3 2

wQ 10 3 2

WEST EAST

x8 7 5 x10 9 4

uA K J 10 8 uQ 7 4

v10 9 8 5 vK Q J

w6 wA J 9 5

SOUTH

xA K Q J 6 3 2

wK 8 7 4

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

2u Pass 3u 4x

Pass Pass Dbl Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Six of w

The art of signaling has many facets. Cover the West and South hands and decide: As East, what cards would you play to tricks one and two?

This deal is from the Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs at the recent ACBL Fall North American Championships in San Diego, Calif. Sitting East-West were Ralph Katz of Chicago and Nikolai Demirev of Arlington Heights, Ill. They were baldly in need of a good session, which might account for West’s offbeat weak two-bid in hearts and East’s double.

West led the six of clubs, and dummy was not what the defenders hoped to see. The first thing East had to hope for was that West had a five-card heart suit. Since the opening lead was certainly a singleton, how should East defend?

Demirev came up with the winning solution. He won the first trick with the ace of clubs and returned the jack! Katz read it right. He ruffed the club return and underled his top heart honors. East won with the queen and returned another club — down one for a top score.

2010 Tribune Media Services