bridge

June 17, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

East-West vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA 8 3

u7 5

vK 10 9 8

wJ 10 4 2

WEST EAST

x7 2 x6 5 4

uA Q J 10 4 2 u9 8 3

v2 vA 7 6 4

w8 7 5 3 wA K Q

SOUTH

xK Q J 10 9

uK 6

vQ J 5 3

w9 6

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x 3u 3x 4u

4x Pass Pass Dbl

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Two of v

The echo in trumps is the reverse of an echo in a suit. With a doubleton trump, the defender follows up the line. With three trumps and a ruffing value, the defender echoes. Here’s how it works, but first cover the West and South hands.

A competitive auction ended in four spades, doubled by East. Note that the heart game cannot be defended with any defense. West led the singleton diamond, East rose with the ace and returned the suit, West ruffing with the deuce. A club return was taken by East’s queen and West ruffed another diamond with the seven and returned a club to the king. What should East play and why?

West should know that East cannot ruff another diamond. Why? By ruffing first with the deuce and then with the seven, West has shown no more than two trumps so, when East wins the third club, he must shift to a heart and bank more tricks — down four doubled for 800 points.

2010 Tribune Media Services