BRIDGE

February 18, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Neither vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xK 4 3 2

uK J 7 6

vJ 10 5

w10 3

WEST EAST

xQ 9 xJ 10 8 6

u10 4 3 uQ 9 5

vK 7 6 vA 8 2

wK 8 7 5 2 wQ J 9

SOUTH

xA 7 5

uA 8 2

vQ 9 4 3

wA 6 4

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

Pass Pass 1v Pass

1u Pass 1NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Five of w

We continue with Eddie Kantar’s “Thinking Bridge” series, designed for players who are eager to improve their game and published in the Daily Bulletins at the ACBL Fall North American Championships, held in San Diego, Calif.

“With 4-4 in the majors, the proper response to a minor-suit opening bid is one heart. With 5-5 in the majors, the proper response is one spade. Opener’s one-no-trump rebid is automatic with this distribution. East has the points to make a passed-hand takeout double, but not the right distribution. When the opponents have bid two suits, a passed-hand takeout double promises at least four cards in each unbid suit, more often 4-5 in the unbids (four in the unbid major, five in the unbid minor).

“If dummy plays low at trick one, East plays the nine of clubs; if the ten is played, East covers with the jack, again the lower equal. If declarer ducks the first trick, with two cards remaining East returns the queen of clubs, the higher card. Under the queen West plays the club two, his lowest club, showing exactly five clubs.

“As South, after winning the third club you should know from the way East and West are playing clubs that West remains with two winning clubs. In addition, the defenders have the ace and king of diamonds, or a total of six sure tricks when next on lead. You, on the other hand, have five sure tricks, the ace-kings of both majors and the ace of clubs. You need two extra tricks and your best bet is to go after them in diamonds, a suit where you have to lose at least two tricks anyway.

“Drive out the ace and king of diamonds, let them take their clubs, but you make your contract. If you take the heart finesse and it loses, you not only lose the six aforementioned tricks but the queen of hearts as well. The heart finesse is not necessary. It is important to grasp the concept of establishing tricks in a suit or in suits that have inevitable losers so as not to increase their trick count.”

2010 Tribune Media Services