Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xVoid

uJ 7 6 4 2

v8 6 3

wA Q 10 9 4

WEST EAST

xA Q 8 6 2 xJ 9

u3 uQ 9

vQ J 10 7 5 vA 9 4 2

w6 3 wK J 7 5 2

SOUTH

xK 10 7 5 4 3

uA K 10 8 5

vK

w8

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x Pass 1NT Pass

2u Pass 4u Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Queen of v

Against your contract of four hearts, West leads the queen of diamonds to partner’s ace, felling your king, and the suit is continued. What are your chances, and which card in the closed hand is the key?

North has an awkward response on the first round. A two-club bid is likely to lose the heart suit and to respond two hearts on such a shabby suit is unthinkable. Since the void in partner’s suit is a liability, North compromised by bidding one no trump. That worked well and the excellent heart game was reached in quick time.

If trumps are 2-1, the contract is cold. South’s key card is the eight of clubs. That guarantees no more than two club losers no matter how the suit breaks.

Declarer ruffed the second diamond and cashed the ace of hearts. When both defenders followed, declarer drew the remaining fang, then ran the eight of clubs, losing to East’s jack. The diamond return was ruffed, dummy was entered by trumping a spade and the ace of clubs was cashed. Next a club was led for a ruffing finesse. Had it lost, that would have been the third and last trick for the defense. But when East turned up with the king of clubs, the contract is home with an overtrick.

Should you adopt the same line at duplicate? There are some possibilities for 12 tricks if the ace of spades is guarded no more than twice. But that entails some risk to the contract, so we think you should play it the same way as at rubber bridge, putting the contract above overtricks.

A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR TO OUR READERS EVERYWHERE!

SCrt 2010 Tribune Media Services