bridge

July 15, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

Both vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

xQ 10

uQ 7 3

vJ 5 4

wK 9 8 6 2

WEST EAST

x8 2 x7 6 5

uJ 10 8 6 5 2 uA K 4

v10 8 7 3 2 vA 9

wVoid wQ J 10 7 3

SOUTH

xA K J 9 4 3

vK Q 6

wA 5 4

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

1w Dbl 2u Dbl

3u 4x Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Two of u

There are circumstances where even the opening lead can be a suit-preference signal. Consider this deal.

South’s hand was too strong for an overcall, so he started with a double. North had barely enough to respond with a double, to show a smattering of values, after his partner’s takeout double had been followed by West’s weak jump. East supported hearts and South closed the auction with his leap to the game in spades.

Since West would not have overcalled two hearts on a four-card suit, it was obvious to East that the two was a suit-preference signal for the lower-ranking suit, clubs. Since it was quite likely that South had started with a singleton heart, he won the first trick with the ace of hearts and, just to make sure that East would read the position, returned the three of clubs. West duly ruffed, returned a diamond to his partner’s ace and ruffed another club — down one thanks to a nice bit of cooperative defense.

2010 Tribune Media Services